Oblivious Attraction
by Madeline Cullen
Summary: She would never understand the race. He would always question her. What was a friendship woven out of misery if neither truly could comprehend it?"What are friends? Why do you use these words that confuse me?"She exclaimed, tears running down her face.
1. Chapter 1

A young girl of about eight plodded around in the dark confines of her "cage", cursing a blue streak in many different languages, irritation evident in everything she did.

Surprisingly, she managed to maneuver through the black as pitch room easily, even managing to punch the walls quite a few times, claw at the heavy steel door and glare fruitlessly at the one way mirror in the southern wall with neon-green slitted-eyes.

The room itself was a dull sight. White washed walls, colorless tile and the ominous tinted one-way mirror, not to mention that nearly everything was worse for wear due to a certain child's temper tantrums.

Her ears twitched every now and then, followed by a flick of the tail.

She was soon irritated with walking like a human, settling for her hands and feet, pouncing in an incensed manner, hissing, mewling and spitting at random things, fully abandoning any human language.

Of course, she only proceeded to do this when said humans were not physically around her, or when she did not feel a presence behind the glass. When she did, she blocked everything out so well that you could think her dead if not for the slight movement of her chest that signified breathing.

A frown made its way to her sickly pale skin as she curled up on her bed (which truthfully was just a straw mat on the floor with a thin sheet) not caring if her ebony-silver hair fell in her eyes.

Really, they expected her to cooperate with what they did? She was sure it was inhumane, given she was not all the way _human _but that was both besides the point and _their _fault.

She was completely stoic to whatever they did to her, even the "limit testing," which consisted of things like physical limitations (bullet aversion, contortionism because she had over thirty vertebrae unlike the standard 26 of a human), pain tolerance, mental limitation and emotional limitations and ample amount more…but she knew that this was a perverse form of torture for the sake of "human" knowledge.

She turned a different leaf when they began providing her with books of morals and of "regular" life. That, conveniently, was at the age of three. She full out became resistant to the tests, got punished severely by the scientists, psychologists, geneticists and biophysicists.

She quickly learned it was safer on her part (though living life in a laboratory was far from being safe at all) to do as they said and tend to her own devices and rants when she was alone.

Her hopes were not high, that is, her hopes to be saved.

She could not even comprehend what hope was for that matter. In her head, the chances of leaving the hellhole were slim to none.

Little after testing her, they proclaimed her a complete success. The humans were completely and totally enthused about finally creating the perfect (in their eyes) combination of cat and human.

Though she had her own behavioral quirks, varying in degree.

She loathed walking like a human, using the extra little appendage on her hands called a pollex (or thumb to humans) unless it was absolutely necessary, her dietary choices (fish, milk, sweets and anything that was labeled "unhealthy"), how she tended to dig her nails into her skin when she was irritated or deep in thought, the way she twirled her hair viciously when stressed, her furry tail, fluffy ears and many more.

But over all, they deemed her more favorable traits, well, more favorable.

She could scale walls without any further assistance, squeeze through bars so tight it should have been physically impossible for the human anatomy, she could sense most anything, mimic others to the point that it seemed surreal, a photographic memory of things she chose to remember and fast as a bullet reflexes.

But they had failed to ever see that their experiment was unhappy and just following what she thought was for her own well-being. She had trudged along her life like this for years on end…and it was not at all fulfilling, leaving a hollow and vacant feeling in the center of her chest. The female, or Kat, as she referred to herself in private, had lived a gloomy and miserable seven years, always bearing the torture for others' benefits or to satisfy their sadistic and wicked curiosity.

A growl built up in her throat, teeth gritted. She took to jumping on the walls, hissing vulgar threats into thin air.

Then, a high and trilling sound met her ears, startling her thoroughly. She twisted her top half first, followed by her back, landing on all fours. A red light flared relentlessly, the shadows seeming to dance around her as she sighed and leaned back on her haunches. The idiots at the control panel must have gotten intoxicated, were mating on the switch board (she gave a violent twitch at the thought, having read book on both human and feline mating rituals) or the ignoramuses had been caught in one of their more gruesome experiments and the proper authorities were on their way to retrieve her.

She scoffed at the absurdity of the latter thought, settling for the former assumptions, mood darkening upon realizing that her life might not have a "happy" ending like in the books she read so much about. No "Philip Marlow, Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot" to save her and bring the culprits to justice.

Yet, strangely enough, the gods were against her usually accurate probabilities.

The lead bolted door burst open with a loud bang, revealing two humans in the doorway before Kat retreated to the darkest corner of the room. Her thoughts focused as she concentrated on becoming a small, furry tabby cat kitten.

Her heart was beating wildly with adrenaline. _Test? Can't take too many chances…_

It was just a preventative measure; she was not going to be foolish enough to throw caution to the wind, it was most certainly more knowledgeable then being too _lax_.

Her eyes, neon green and holding an inconceivable amount of secrets, aimed at the humans, fur on end.

Kat listened in on what they spoke noticing with inquisitiveness why they were speaking a different language in China, even more, why they were speaking English?

The girl, clad in baggy clothing and sporting western physique (the whole she-bang, blue eyes, fair skin and blonde hair).

She said, "Damn! I thought she was supposed to be here! I was _so_ sure!"

Kat stared at the two people that entered her enclosure, speculating whether they were here for their own benefit or hers. Of course, being the pessimist she was, she was keener to sway to the negative ideas rather than listen to the little voice in her head that wanted her to be optimistic for once.

"Just because she is not here in her human form does not mean that she is not present in the room in any other of her appearances, W," She eyed the old man, he seemed kindly and had a certain air about him, making her think of friendly environments found in novels. But what threw her off balance was the fact that he had called the girl "W." _Is that not a letter in the Roman alphabet?_

"Right, Watari," W (Kat assumed was the girl's name) made a beeline for the corner Kat had situated herself in, the man lagging behind. Her instincts wanted to take hold of her as she estimated her distance from the wall and the likelihood of her escaping in time.

_And if they are here with good intentions?_ She froze.

It seemed completely preposterous. No one knew of her existence (at least, not anyone outside of the ghoulish facility) and were more likely to worry about their own things than a child like her.

_And should you run out, who is to say you shall, indeed, survive?_ Another point, all she had to go on were books that never ceased to be without the clichéd happy ending. This was reality; people were killed on a daily basis, died of poverty, starvation…

She had given too much time to the morbid thoughts, it seemed.

"Kew Keikan?" The girl, W, asked her, inching forward, even if hesitantly. Kat tilted her head at the name before snapping out of it, readying herself to leap at the wall.

But one single sentence stopped her from doing so.

"We are here to save you, Kat," The elderly man said.

Everything seemed to stop and spin around her, a wave of vertigo hit her.

Had he just uttered the words that she dreamed of the majority of her short life? Maybe she had fallen unconscious after the scientists attempted to riddle her with bullets again?

"You can change into your other form, we are well aware if the fact that you can, Kew," There was that name again! It sounded Japanese like "kyu" but also like the "kew" for loveable in Chinese! Her name was _Kat_!

Though her mind was reeling with rants, accusation and questions, she nonetheless felt her bones realigning themselves again.

She timidly took a step forward, narrowing her eyes into a glare. "Who is this 'Kew Keikan' you speak of? I am only aware of myself; Kat," She informed them quietly. W gasped; face twisting up in something between horror and disgust, scanning her eyes over Kat's body, teeming with inquiries. But then it all seemed to melt off her face into a mask of apathy.

"Kew Keikan, That is your given name, but we can call you Kat if you wish," The man, Watari, informed her.

The tomboy looked at them with little interest; all emotion slipping from her face as she slipped out of the room with a grace that Kat had failed to find in any other humans.

"And, if you _are_ here to 'save me' then how am I to know that you will not treat me worse?" _Though I highly doubt the probability of that, in the stories I read, the adults do not shoot bullets at their children for the purpose of selfish benefit or curiosity of boundaries. _

Watari took on an even softer demeanor, ruffling through his bag and pulling out a fur lined black coat, holding it out to her.

What? Was her bandaged chest and sweat pants not enough?

_A peace offering, perhaps?_ Sniffing the air lightly to make sure that there were no noxious fumes surrounding it or something (once more, the probabilities were low).

She took the coat in her hands and put it on diffidently; it was, afterall, not an everyday occasion that she got to put on actual clothing.

"Where might we be going?" she asked, unknowingly pawing the ground avoiding the man's eyes as he stood to his full height. _He most likely could easily over power me, _she noted solemnly.

"Well, by Chinese law you are eight but by British law you are only seven, and turn eight on October thirty-fist, so you are coming to an orphanage, one for exceptionally gifted children." He explained, holding his hand out for the girl to hold. She tilted her head, ears pointing straight at him. Making sure her claws were retracted, she took his hand, her own shaking a bit.

"If I may ask," She said, in her quiet little voice, being polite so as not get punished (but she truly thought that this human might deserve the kindness and politeness from her). "Why were you making a reference to my date of birth?" She eyed the ground, wanting oh-so badly to just walk around like a true cat instead of be so erect.

"You may call me Mr. Wammy or Watari, little one," he said, looking at her feet as they opened a door, one that Kat had seen many times while they took her from place to place, the main exit.

"And as for your birth date, it means that the Chinese government cannot let you live by yourself without a guardian, that and, the roommate I have set up for you shares your birth date." He said, before he set his eyes out on the snow laden ground and Kat's bare feet. "Miss Keikan, may I pick you up? I do not want you catching a cold."

She scrunched her nose up a bit before turning herself into a kitten; she stared at him evenly as if asking "Will this suffice?"

Mr. Wammy seemed to see her unwillingness to be touched in human form and merely nodded once more with gentleness, picking her up.

It seemed to surreal to Kat, her dream coming true all at once, but now, what mattered in her life? Was her destiny fulfilled? Her wishes were granted but she felt somewhat hollow.

Orphanage: a home or other institutional setting for orphans, often operated by a local government or charitable organization.

Orphan: a child whose parents are either dead or who has been abandoned by his or her parents, especially a child not adopted by another family.

Parents: somebody's mother, father, or legal guardian.

Book definitions with an obscure meaning, she knew what the words meant but she was not aware of the relevance of it to her situation.

Mr. Wammy said she was being taken to an orphanage for "exceptionally gifted children," a facility with others that were similar to her?

Unlikely; she doubted that cat-people were common in the truly calloused world she lived in.

So, if she was going to an orphanage that meant she was an orphan. And that meant she did not have any parents either alive or they simply abandoned her.

She let all of the possibilities wash over her, not comprehending adult humans too well. She was a master mind at finding hidden intentions but was clueless as to why said intentions were hidden. She may have been a genius, one who knew without a doubt that what they did to her at the labs was _wrong_, but regular humans were baffling to her.

Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep, but when she opened her eyes what she saw was surprising: a large structure, almost castle-like, the type of thing you might find in the fairy book she had tossed aside one afternoon, naming it useless in her search to uncover what was the human mind.

Children sprinted around, smiling, laughing, and a few quietly swinging on the nearby play ground and there was one who was at a bench just reading away. Some seemed as old as adults, some were younger than her and others were just about her age at least.

Of course, she made her observations from inside an antique looking car, paws on the window.

Her eyes widened as they seemingly turned to look at the motionless vehicle.

She turned into her more human form, looking with wide eyes at the audience of children seeming to be chanting 'new comer' to each other. Kat cringed slightly.

Soon a figure appeared in front of her opening the door and leaning in to free her from the straps of the seat belt. Mr. Wammy was very delicate, especially around the healing wounds which she assumed he wrapped himself.

"Thank you, Mr. Wammy," She said, looking at the giant looming gates, than further to the children who were looking towards the car curiously.

_Amazing! _She thought, giving herself a look than gawking at the kids. _Miniature humans! So this is the result when a normal human couple reproduces!_

Mr. Wammy took her hand and led her to the front gates, her ears perked up at every sound she heard, having barely gotten the opportunity back at the facility.

"_Am I allowed to show my feline characteristics here, Mr. Wammy?_"She asked timidly, biting her lip, a glimpse of her slightly sharpened canines flashing the children unintentionally. All of this was said in Cantonese, she assumed he knew that along with Mandarin Chinese, if he had managed to pilfer her away from China.

"Yes, but the children might need time to get used to it," he said, a smile on his features.

With a grand push, he opened the gate, loosening his hold on her hand. She noticed this and turned to him, head tilted with a soft "Meow?" Leaving her to fall to the tips of her fingers (thumb forgotten) and the balls of her feet in a crouched position.

"I sensed that you were uncomfortable, after seeing many of the security tapes, I noticed you preferred this method of walking instead of the more common one." He explained her silent question, almost as if he could understand her soft meows and mews or the occasional purr and hiss.

She nodded, shaking her tail out of the confines of the soft coat, she kept an eye on Mr. Wammy as he walked along, he was quite a few meters away before she let a glint come to her eye, pouncing over the first meter, she then proceeded to catch up with Mr. Wammy, glancing at the snow, looking at her nose when a snow flake landed on it, enjoying the feel of it on her hands and the surprisingly inviting cold.

She ignored the questioning glances and whispers and simply followed Mr. Wammy inside the large mansion.

The inside was just as grand as the outside, showing bright colors so different compared to the dull shades of the Labs. She made note of every twist and turn and of all of the halls and corridors they passed, not one speck of dirt going un-inventoried. Mr. Wammy told her which door led to the classrooms and which ones should be committed to memory, her wide eyed stare was calculating and curious, taking everything in like a metaphorical sponge.

"And this," Mr. Wammy indicated, pointing to a double door room with intricate designs on them (the doors), the carvings were different on both doors, one seemed reminiscent of Chinese cat-like designs, then the strangely detailed Jyuunishi (the twelve signs of the Japanese zodiac)

Mr. Wammy smiled again, waiting patiently for her.

Moving slowly, she raised one hand to open the doors, peering into the room vigilantly. She jumped a bit when she saw someone already in the room, on the computer, typing away.

"_Misutaa_ _Wami! Womotte iru no ga!" _She whispered frantically, this time in Japanese. _Mr. Wammy! Someone is in there!_

"I do believe that is your roommate, Kew," He said, moving ahead of her and opening the door, only to see that the boy was standing right in front of it now. "Kew, this is L, L this is Kew. You two will be roommates from now on."

And then they both examined each other.

Kat found that this L's raven hair was unruly and long, gray eyes in which the pupil was dilated so much it dominated nearly the whole eye not to mention the bags he had and his skin was very pale. He wore but a simple long sleeve t-shirt and jeans. He was slouched with one hand in the pocket of said jeans.

L scanned his eyes over her, she was just about two inches shorter than him but she looked even more starved than even he, the surface of her skin was nearly completely covered with bandages, telling him that either she was abused or in a horrible accident. Her raven hair was mixed with silver and fluffy ears were set on the top, a tail poked out from behind her, swaying rhythmically. She had a small button nose, fair lips and her _eyes_—those might have been the most exotic part of her person. Bright shimmering emeralds glazed with curiosity to cover the walls she had set up around herself, they were slanted at a slight angle, and the pupil was slitted. She was standing in just bandages, sweats and a much too big parka.

Finally, Kat plucked up the courage to bow, having read it in a book it was a polite way to greet someone. "Hello, L, I am Kat, or as Mr. Wammy put it, Kew Keikan," she said, keeping her head bowed as she lifted herself back up.

"And I am L. Lawliet, pleasure to meet you Kat," he said, a childish smile on his features. It seemed to Kat that on the outside world, people tended to show happiness more often, usually in a smile. She turned her head up, lips twitching up into a grin.


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as Mr. Wammy set foot out of the room, the smile slipped off of L's features and he headed straight for the mass of papers on one of the beds.

Kat tilted her head at this and followed behind him, his total change in demeanor not going unnoticed.

Of course, whom ever else should they place her in a room with other than someone whom could amount to her in obstinacy? Was he just as unwilling to trust humans as well?

She frowned, letting her eyes wander around the rather luxurious and lavish room. The walls were covered in a dark navy blue, the moldings were white with little zodiac signs running along it like the doors, there were two sets of ebony doors, one of which she assumed led to a bathroom (much like the ones she was never allowed to enter back at the laboratories). A small leather couch that looked extravagantly soft was pushed against the wall in front of a coffee table, there were two shiny laptops, a monstrosity of a main computer with an abundance of wires and extensions and a solitary navy blue phone hooked up to the wall.

"So odd," She mumbled, gliding over with feline grace to the opposite side of the room.

She opened one door and found a completely granite and marble bathroom with silver fixtures and plumbing.

She shook her head, raven and porcelain locks flying everywhere. Was this not called "spoiling" children?

She closed the door and went to the other one.

L glanced up every once in a while to observe the feline girl, watching her reactions (ranging from awe to curiosity and nothing in between) and making his own evaluations.

Biting his thumb, he sent a pointed glare at her; why did that pair her up with him? It was preposterous and out of the question. She probably never had to lift a finger a day in her life, but his childhood…

Kat opened the door and gasped.

There were just so _many_ clothes and outfits!

Cautiously walking in, she noticed that a good deal of the clothes were for the boy, L, and the other half were for her.

Beautiful cheongsams made of scarlet dyed silk, stockings, slippers and then there were the western influenced clothing; dresses, blouses, and trousers by the dozens! (Well, not dozen, per say, and she just glowered at the footwear, not at all fond of the odd contraptions)

Her lips twitched up at all the luxuries, still trying to figure out if it was just a disturbingly vivid dream.

With a skip in her strut, she came out but became stock still as her neon green eyes met gray ones that were narrowed into a glare. Why was L glaring at her? Looking at her like that? She suppressed a frown; humans were so mind-boggling, especially the miniature ones.

Shaking her head, she walked to the window, curling up against the sill with her head on top of her crossed arms (which were on top of her knees).

She gazed out of the window, settling for observing the smaller humans run around.

It certainly was more productive than trying to wait for who would blink in a staring contest between herself and L.

-

It was a dark, foggy morning, silent as the grave; all the children were in a bed and dreaming peacefully of candy and other materialistic things…at the ungodly hour of morning that Kat awoke from a fitful slumber.

She was gasping, images from the nightmare flashing before her eyes: the flickers of scarlet, the high pitched screams the loud booms and bangs and flashes of guns, the burnt smell of gun powder.

She curled herself up into a small ball, wrapping her arms and tail around her knees, letting the silent tears fall onto her sweat pants. Soft hiccups left her lips, shrouding the whimpers and soft mews.

Night and night again did this happen to her, the same reoccurring nightmare, unchanging but more frightful with time. She was terrified right down to her core.

L winced with every single one of her hiccups.

The girl had woken up every night at precisely four thirty in the morning since the month she was at the Wammy House.

Another two reasons why he did not like to sleep: _His_ own nightmares and the fact that he only got to sleep an hour after she did, which would be around three in the morning.

Her soft and sorrowful mews truly did sounds like a kitten crying. He squeezed his eyes shut and curled himself up more. At least she was not asking to sleep in his bed like any other girl her age would. But he could not blame her; he had ignored her existence for a reasonably long time, thinking it would be a total waste of his time and effort.

Kat took a deep breath and wiped her tears away, not fully comprehending why her eyes were leaking when she woke up. Sliding off the bed, she listlessly trudged to the window, watching the sun rise in all of its glorious shades of pinks yellow and blues. She could just imagine herself running through the snow laden ground or behaving like any other child; be given the privilege of enjoying the smells and sounds that the morning brought without being stared at or criticized.

She glances at L through the corner of her eyes at the now sleeping L. She felt immensely guilty that she woke him up with her.

The boy rarely got any sleep as is, and with her waking him up so early in the mornings, it was not bound to be healthy.

Then, an idea struck her.

She jumped from the window sill to her own bed in one single bound, pulling on the oversized t-shirt that she had placed on one of the bed posts the night before. After that, she proceeded to run out the door, sliding to a halt in the hallway before sprinting along on all fours, dodging the occasional caretaker or running on the walls when tuning the sharp corners.

The boy, L, did not like her for some reason she could not completely fathom. Maybe she had done something offensive? Yet, how could she? She rarely ever spoke a word, so that theory was moot. She _had_ heard the other children saying that he preferred quiet over being outside with thunderous and loquacious kids.

She dodged the custodial lady, (said lady crossed herself after jumping out of the way).

Maybe he did not like to be observed? However, he had never objected to her when she looked at his actions with wide eyes, trying to mimic how regular children acted.

That, conversely, proved fruitless.

He was not normal, and was just as much an outcast as Kat.

She stopped suddenly, skidding on the floor boards before clumsily pushing the doors open with only her index finger.

A grin took over her features as she jumped onto the counter, searching through all of the cabinets to retrieve a tea set and other miscellaneous sweets. She treaded slowly now, being careful with the porcelain and hot liquids.

-

L woke but did not open his eyes. He felt a pressure shifting from side to side on his legs.

_Who is idiotic enough to do this?_ He thought, very much irate.

He gave a resigned sigh before his eyes opened.

And then he met: Big. Neon. Green. Slitted. Eyes. Staring. At. Him. While. He. _Slept!_

So surprised was he, he ended up backing up against the headboard, startled that the feline girl had chosen to give him such a rude awakening.

"What do you think you are _doing?"_ He asked; the fury showing through the tenor of his voice only.

Kat furrowed her brows as her ears went flat against her head. She placed the tray on the bed and jumped to her own sullenly.

It was only then that L bothered to look down at what she had brought into their room.

A tea set, sugar cubes, and an assortment of sweets. But why would she do that…? Had he not been rude and inhospitable with her or was his mind playing tricks on him? But, then his eyes settled on the note next to the tea set. "Sorry" written in illegible English than repeated over again he assumed, in about ten other languages. The characters looking more like art than words.

He spared a glance at her; she was fixing up her bed, tail limp, ears flat. Why was she apologizing? Did she think she did something wrong?

An unsettling feeling developed in his stomach, it churned uncomfortably as his heart suddenly fell into it and he felt a bit sick. He could not ignore this and just go down to the mess hall to eat, that would be wrong and he did not want to waste good sweets.

His head snapped up as he heard a sigh; she was staring at the camera that was in the corner of the room, before she ripped her shirt off (revealing the bandages underneath, and grabbed her fur lined coat.

He barely caught her rapid movements as she slipped out the door and from the dull thud he heard, fell onto all fours and left.

-

Kat was wholly perturbed; humans were nothing but irritating little puzzles.

She tested the waters to check for a snake and it turned out there was a hippopotamus in its stead.

She had tried to offer a peace offering, perhaps get him to forgive whatever she had done to make him act so surly with her and he outright refused to even acknowledge it, tell her what was bothering him or what she had done.

She mewed loudly, followed by a growl, upset with running altogether.

She scanned the corridors until her keen eyes found a window down the hall, and then she set off.

Opening the latch she balanced herself on the ledge, balls of her feet and palms gripping the sill, turning her emerald irises to the ground. The moist air blew into her face sharply, the humidity in the air was sharp in contrast to the recycled air of the orphanage. She could hear the slight how of a wolf far off in the distance.

She launched herself off of the ledge and let the wind caress her as she free fell to the ground.

At the last possible moment, right before she went "_splat" _against the ground, she twisted her body, landing on all fours and bouncing a bit on the ground to make sure she did not injure herself in any way. When her self-examination was over she began sprinting to a big secluded oak tree, a fair distance from the courtyard.

-

L's eyes were the size of saucers by the time the spectacle was over. She had just jumped _three_ stories down into the gloppy, despicable sludge called snow, and ran off with out a scratch on her. The wailing screams of terror and bellows of commands were ear shattering as the caretakers tried to regain some sort of control over the children. His trembling hand, paler than usual for he had blanched, had long ago dropped his tea spoon.

_She could've died! Did she not comprehend the boundaries between life and death?! Was she merely insane or suicidal?!_

Two deeps voices were than heard, much too low-pitch to be any of the older boys. L walked over to the door, peeking out into the hallway furtively.

"Do not worry, she can survive many larger falls, she is, after all, part cat." Mr. Wammy assured that frantic and hysteric crowd. He turned to the double doors, smiling slightly when he saw it closing slightly, a flash of ink black hair disappearing.

"Roger, could you please take care of this? I must go check up on L, then on Kat," He addressed his friends, already walking away and disregarding when Roger gave him a distressed glare.

Mr. Wammy scuttled over to the doors, entering without a word. He closed is behind him, softly inquiring, "Are you alright, L?"

"Yes," But Mr. Wammy caught the uncertainty laced within the reclusive child's tone as he made his way over to said boy.

He made note of the china set bared in front of L.

"Did she bring you breakfast?" He asked, remembering the little scene from the observation room. The guard was kind enough to wave him over when it happened.

"Yes, actually," L paused, reaching for a Madeleine cake. "However, at first, I was unsure why, until I found this note." He held up the paper for Mr. Wammy to see, looking at the table as he sipped his tea. "I do not know why she is apologizing. Trifling really." He swirled the spoon in his tea.

Mr. Wammy raised and eyebrow, seeing that there were two cookies left untouched.

"L, are you finished? Aren't you going to eat that?" He questioned, piecing together why the child might not want to.

L lifted his frail body off of the bed, wrapping the cookies in a napkin. "No."

Mr. Wammy forced the urge to smile down. "Then, do you wish to accompany me to see Kat?"

Typically, L did not answer the man's question, choosing rather to half put on some sneakers and a coat, and then walk down the stairs in his hunched way.

He would much rather show the older man his answer than waste it on unneeded words.

-

She clawed at the bare tree, kicked it, and punched it in her special style of the Brazilian Capoeira, mixing in some other martial arts.

She winced a few times when the wood made a squeaky sound or anything that seemed unpleasant. She was hardly breaking a sweat, and that made her anger flicker. Why did she suddenly feel that it was far more exhilarating to dodge bullets, have them scrape against her after narrowly missing them and force back all of the tortures than being a normal humans?

She backed up a few paces before charging the tree, jumping in the air and spin kicking it.

"_Ningen kareraha hijixyouni iraira suru 'n desu…" _She murmured crossly, falling into a meditation pose, trying to bring her temper down. _Humans, they are so frustrating. _

She breathed deep breaths, clearing her head, ignoring the world around her to an extent. Dull crushing noises in the white snow alerted her to the people approaching, but she did not care. They most likely were going to try and check up on her.

"Kat, dear?" That kind yet raucous voice lifted her from the option of ignorance.

"Yes, Mr. Wammy, may I help you?" She asked, her quiet voice seeming to fit in with the peaceful landscape.

"We came down to see if you were alright, dear," He mentioned, something shifting next to him. Had he brought an emotion ridden child with him? One that needed assurance that she was, indeed, still among the living?

"And I presume that you are referring to when I jumped out of the window? Yes, that was just an impatient habit; I am sorry if it frightened you or the other tenants," she muttered, she truly had no idea what the words "apologize" and "sorry" meant but she thought that it was fitting to the situation given what she observed form the daily life in the orphanage.

Her eyes opened, and she twisted around, intending to see Mr. Wammy, but instead was met face to face with a boy with ink black hair and gunmetal gray eyes. He had gotten too close to her.

"Sorry, I did not know that would alarm you," He held off saying her name.

Kat sighed, placing her hand to her hear. "Do not worry, I should truly be used to it by now."

A tense silence in which only the soft whistle of the wind could be heard.

"Um." L took out a bundle from what Kat could tell, the nice aroma of chocolate drifting out and permeating the air. "I brought you this, I noticed that you did not bring in your own breakfast so, yes," He rambled, holding the bundle out.

She took it in her hands delicately, a grin pulling at the corner of her lips. "Thank you." And with that she placed a little piece of the sweet in her mouth, offering the other cookie to the male, by now full out beaming.


	3. Chapter 3

Kat gazed out of the window, down at the children whom were playing blissfully, ignorant to the neon eyed girl that watched them, an open book lying in her lap forgotten

Kat gazed out of the window, down at the children whom were playing blissfully, ignorant to the neon eyed girl that watched them, an open book lying in her lap forgotten. Winter was gone and spring had come in full force, bringing with it torrential showers and dances of lightning.

In just the short span of time in which Kat had been there, she noticed quite a few things. One: L had arrived to the orphanage merely a week before her, so the children treated him just as spitefully as her, that is, before they began to acknowledge his unmatched wit and intelligence. Therefore, like the prodigal children they were, they started to respect him, yet gave little to nothing about how Kat had been striving to prove to them that she was worthy of being around them.

Her ear twitched as she saw a bunch of older miniature children on all fours, trying to pounce on each other while the rest ran away. Her eyes darkened; they were ridiculing her, she just knew it.

L looked away from the language work Mr. Wammy had given him and saw Kat directing her blank stare to the back courtyard. She had been doing that a lot lately and he made no comment, deciding that it was none of his business to meddle with her emotional affairs. Yet, he could not help but notice how she seemed to get more morose or irritated when she heard the other orphans going outside.

He bit his thumb, gray eyes darting over to the neat stack of papers on Kat's desk. She had finished her language work in record time, normally curious eyes bored with the tedium of working on something she already knew. He turned back to his French papers reluctantly, giving the slightest grunt of frustration when he saw the verbs.

"Do you need help?" The quiet voice startled him a bit, (her innocently calm and quiet voice was unsettling, like how you would imagine a deranged person to speak after confinement) how did she manage to be so quiet and spook him when they were in the same room?

"L, do you need help?" She repeated her question, unsure whether he had heard her the first time or had decided to just flat out ignore her.

Her mood darkened a bit more when he gave her no answer. This was something more or less common in their interactions. He never like help, asked for it, or even bothered with it when it was given unless he was at his wit's end. He was the type of person who much preferred figuring things out for himself. Not to mention that him even budging to answer her few questions or conversing with her at all seemed like an impossible feat.

Kat placed her book on the bed, pulling some loose strands of her hair behind her ear before walking over to the closet in her peculiar way, grabbing a thick book with only her four fingers, as per usual.

"This, perhaps, might be of some help to you," She mumbled, gingerly placed the book in front of L, pointing at the title. "French Dictionary, Vol. !. Basics," She mused, turning back to her bed and climbing on it, smoothing out her sweat pants.

"That would be how I practiced most languages," She continued, pushing the thought of him ignoring her out of her head, aiming her curious eyes at him, measuring his response to her actions. "A dictionary would be placed in front of me…and I would memorize it…very useful if you have a fair memory."

L simply opened the book precariously, finding this was a one of the kind dictionary. They had the etymology, euphemisms and enunciation help. Flipping through the pages, noting how there were no pictures whatsoever to differentiate or help visualize the words and the fact that the words were scarcely separated in small font did not go unnoticed.

Kat's lips twitched up a bit when she saw that he was at least considering her suggestion, then turned back to her own book, tail swaying as she delved into the world of WWII, fascinated by how humans waged war with each other over trivial things… well, trivial to her at least.

-

Mr. Wammy looked at the small monitor that was on the desk, noting how the two children were more or less making an effort to not be rude to each other though he had to admit: Kat was the more civil of the two considering her literal animosity.

"Mr. Wammy?" A man in a bullet colored uniform asked unsurely, having come back from his break, a small dab of mustard stuck on his mustache. He was a small man with little to no hair on the top of his head, a big round belly and the kind eyes common to any adult that worked in the orphanage.

Said male turned around, "Oh, yes?"

The guard scratched the nape of his neck embarrassed. "Just wonderin' why you might choose to wander on over here of all places as of late."

Mr. Wammy pushed his glasses further up his nose, offering the guard a small smile. "Nothing my dear lad, I was just checking up on 'the two,' Kat and L," He spoke eloquently.

The guard furrowed his brows at the mention of the particular reclusive children. "You mean you think those two kids…" He trailed off. Just about every adult in the Wammy House knew what Mr. Wammy was referring to when he mentioned 'the two.' But it was somewhat odd to see him pick out the oddest of the bunch to crown the term upon.

"Yes, they will go far," He turned on his heel, fully intending on leaving, waving at the guard. "That reminds me, I was going to propose something to them. Thank you for your time, Joseph." He nodded his head at the guard.

As the kind founder left, Joseph wiped his hand across his mustache, muttering mortified when he saw the yellow on his hand.

-

Kat was absolutely enraptured in the war. The blood shed, the way everyone took a side, but most importantly (to her), the failed and succeeded battle ploys used in it. She had curled herself up on the bed, flicking through the pages quickly than going back to reread the more interesting parts.

L was too busy memorizing the French book that Kat had kindly fetched for him to speculate her every move. It _was _easier to learn a language with the dictionary she gave him.

There was a knock on the door that caused both children to look up, wondering who might want to come to visit them, since they were practically the orphanage weirdoes.

"Kat? L? Are you two in there?" The kind male voice made small unnoticeable grins to appear on both their faces. Kat abandoned her book and sprung up from her bed, landing right next to the door (which was a fair eight feet away), opening the door with only her four fingers.

Mr. Wammy offered the petite child a kind look upon seeing her peeking around the door. "Ah, Kat, is L in?" He asked her, noticing that she was wearing an almost exact copy of what she was brought to the orphanage in.

She nodded, opening the door farther to let him in. She became quiet, but do not get her wrong. She trusted him but did not have faith in her mouth. To be truthful, the chances of Kat blurting something completely and utterly rude to the kind elderly man were high. As for the last conversation with him a season ago, that only happened because she was completely relaxed and calm.

Mr. Wammy entered and greeted L, looking at the clean room and making a mental not of the reading material.

"Hello, Mr. Wammy, it is a pleasure to see you," L said, dog-earing the page he was on.

Kat mentally rolled her eyes. Sure, he could speak to Mr. Wammy but _noooo,_ he favored to just grunt or make some sort of primal sound to communicate with her if he even bothered to.

"May I ask, what brings you here?" Kat inquired, tilting her head at him, still at the door.

Mr. Wammy just flashed his smile at her again, "Oh, I came to inform you both that we are going on a trip in a fortnight; to give you two a better perspective of the world."

Kat bounded back over to the bed casually, taking a seat. She remained silent, pondering what it would be like to see another part of the worl and observe the different human characteristics and cultured in effect rather than portrayed in print.

"Where are we going?" L quipped casually, covering up the confusion that now flooded his eyes. To his knowledge, there were no field trips scheduled for the Orphanage this month, and it was unheard of for Mr. Wammy to take children with him on any endeavors.

"Brazil, I intend to meet a colleague and the orphanage there." Mr. Wammy informed them, informing them of what to pack for the trip and what behavior would be considered appropriate.

-

Kat was lounging in the playroom, finding that her energy was completely zapped. Water was falling from the sky outside, and the caretakers were ushering the other miniature human inside, hushing the ones that wanted to play in the rain.

She felt absolutely dreadful; too weak to stand, fighting to stay in her half-cat form, not wanting to transform into a kitten that the other tenants of the orphanage were sure to torture.

Her eyes felt unbelievably heavy, she could not resist the urge to close them.

Why had she come down again? Oh, L wanted to be alone and had politely requested that she leave for a little while. It was a few days before they would depart across the seas on their trip. L had been trying his hand at being polite with her, actually paying attention when she would give tips here and there but still made no sound when she offered him help.

Kat huffed; it was getting steadily harder to breathe, as if the air was being sucked away from her by an invisible vacuum. This, in no way, motivated her to move. Not even when the older children came in, the ones that would make fun of her.

The eldest, an unruly boy of sixteen, walked in with his lackeys, the smell of cigarette hanging off of them. Their loud, mocking laughter echoed through out the room, causing the girl draped across the couch to wince violently. The only reason the boys were in the "gifted orphanage" was because they had exceptional espionage skills and could devise ingenious but strenuous plans that had good probability of succeeding.

"Hey! What's the little kitty doing here?! I thought that she kept to herself, cooped up with L?" The leader, Henry, bellowed out, a creepy grin crawling onto his face.

"I thought so too, boss," Edwin, the biggest of the three but youngest spoke, which left Carsem, the quiet one with blonde hair.

Henry stalked up to the couch, noticing how the female was mumbling about leaving her alone and the weather being a hindrance to her.

"Het, what happens to cat girls when you put them outside in the rain?" He asked sinisterly, turning to the other two, a hard glint in his eyes.

In silence and with stealth, they hauled the girl out into the rain, placing her up against the Oak tree she had practically destroyed in the wee hours of the morning.

Kat could only feel the rough bruising grips on her limbs and the disgusting precipitation that was building on her body (the rest was just numb). She felt like she was dying, taking her last shuddery breaths. What was wrong with her? This had never happened to her! But that question had no plausible answer as most of her thoughts melted into a hazy nothingness.

Hours could have passed and she would have never known.

-

L raced down the stairs, running into Mr. Wammy's study, interrupting the conversation that was going on. He panted a bit, trying to regain his composure. "Mr. Wammy, some older boys dragged Kat out into the rain, she isn't getting up!" He spoke hurriedly, adjusting the rain coat he had put on haphazardly in his race to reach an authorative figure.

Mr. Wammy and Roger halted their debate, acknowledging his need to check up on one of the "two," Roger settled for letting his long time friend go. The kind man known as Mr. Wammy quickly followed behind L, brushing his hand on the little boy's shoulder. "Lead the way, L," He urged the boy.

Within minutes they were in and out, but this time, a sodden cat girl in Mr. Wammy's arms, shivering so much she seemed to vibrate.

-

Kat awoke in a warm cozy state. Then the memories of what had occurred flooded her head. She sat bolt upright, eyes popping wide open.

"You are awake, thank goodness," She heard the gentle voice next to her bed. She snapped her head in the direction, frightened. It was only Mr. Wammy. _Only Mr. Wammy._

"Kat, calm down," The monotone voice said from across her. There, perched on his bed in a crouched fashion similar to how she usually chose to sit was L, flipping through a book nonchalantly. She took a deep breath then let it out.

She opened her mouth to speak but all that spilled out was a soft "meow." She frowned, not appreciating the fact that her mind was playing tricks on her vocal cords.

"Hm, can't speak?" Mr. Wammy said, leaning his face in closer to hers. She wrinkled her nose up trying again but this time a small "mew" came out. She suppressed the instinct to claw at her throat, annoyance flickering in and out of her desolate emerald orbs.

"Do not worry, you will probably be able to speak later on, just focus on getting better, we leave for Brazil tomorrow." L informed her, glancing up from his book once, noticing just how deathly pale she looked, even worse than when she first came.

And so, she rested her heart out, mewing furiously or hissing when anyone dared to come into her room other than L, Mr. Wammy or occasionally Roger. When it came time to go to Brazil, Kat was completely healthy and absolutely ecstatic on the inside that she was being let out of her temporary confinement.

In Brazil, to her disappointment, she was being dragged all over the place with a ribbon and cap covering her second set of ears and her tail wrapped forcefully as a belt or hidden by her parka. She would mutter foul comments under her breath at the absurdity as she shadowed L in their little adventures to the nearby village or the museum, once even to the sweets shop.

The one thing that happened that was truly exciting to her was when they found the locals playing a game that consisted of emphasizing their Capoeira skills.

-

Kat ran over to the large circle, watching wide eyed with L as they fought without hitting each other, a cacophony of kicks, sweeps and head buts, all moving around gracefully.

An idea bubbled inside of her as she saw a much smaller version of it being played a whiles a way by children. Racing over to the bateria (ring around two fighters), she listened to the proctor. "Who ever can beat the champion will receive a year's worth of sweets from Yara's Sweet Shop! Come on! Who wants to give it a try?" He yelled in Portuguese over the crowd's murmurs. Kat was glad she had worn her tail as a belt today and had opted for wearing a cat and boy's clothing. She turned to enter the bateria but was stopped by an equally pale hand on her arm.

"What are you doing?" L asked her, apathetically, unknowingly leaning closer to her, aiming his wide set eyes at her.

She grinned reassuringly, wondering if he was concerned for her. "I am just going to exert some extra energy, do not worry yourself."

She strode over to the proctor, leaving a befuddled L in her wake. "Worried? Me? No, just questioning your sanity." He said slightly irate, pushing his way to the front, next to the people on drums to have a better view of the fight that was to go on.

"And, the next to challenge our champion, Flavio, is Mister Kale Kimo!" The proctor yelled the boy name. Kat, or Kale Kimo as the man announced, eyed her opponent, deducing him in a moment: Older teenager to adult, scars on body meant he was either very experienced or was so horrible he was not allowed with the other men, he was twice her size and would probably be able to overpower her. So her best bet was her speed and ability to dodge. The music started and she started off slow since the key in this was to test your opponent, if he could not be able to escape a slow hit that it would be an entire waste to go any faster.

Kat jumped in the air, twisting her spine back so that she could execute a hand stand, effectively dodging the high kick that was aimed for her face. She pulled her cap down farther over her head before dropping to her hands and sweeping the ground under Flavio, succeeding in catching him off guard, causing him to stumble across the dirt arena. Kat placed her hands together before pushing herself off of the ground in a flip, wanting to try and slam Flavio to the ground.

It seemed like a bluff, the first stumble, as Flavio dodged, missing her body by a few inches as he kicked again at her. She landed on the ground, one leg outstretched.

Had she underestimated her opponent? No, of course not, her deductions were usually dead on; this person was just being elusive. But he did not know she had a few things up her sleeve. Bringing her leg back in, she stood in her usual way, a cocky smile on her lips hidden from the crowd.

L watched on dumbstruck, with Mr. Wammy at his side in much the same façade. Both were watching the elegant dance of brawns and wit (Mr. Wammy had come his way just as the fight had started). . Flavio seemed like he would be likely to win but then again, L knew little to nothing about Kat save the fact that she seemed to be oddly exceptional in fighting arts from what he saw of her killing the trees in the mornings in Winchester.

Flavio charged at Kat, causing the smirk on her lips to widen, _He fell for the trap!_ She pounced away from the drop kick that was coming in for her, twisting her body around violently as she pushed her hands against the ground, spinning her body so that she was in a mid air split, double kicking Flavio in his over-confident tan face. He fell to the ground as she landed back on all fours, raising herself up.

The audience erupted in a roar of applause, all congratulating her in Portuguese.

"AND OUR NEW CHAMPION IS MISTER KALE KIMO!" The proctor yelled, grabbing Kat's hand and forcing it into the air. She winced at the contact but smiled nonetheless as a card was forced into her other hand. The card that would tell the sweet shop she could get a year's worth of candy.

She slipped away from the crowds, nodding her thanks to the miniature humans and the adult ones that congratulated her on a good fight. She pushed through the crowds, making her way to Mr. Wammy and L, pulling off her cap when she was out of the throng of people, letting her ebony and silver hair cascade down to her shoulders, ear still concealed by a yellow ribbon.

"L, Mr. Wammy, I won a year's worth of sweets!" She beamed, letting a small bit of her giddiness through the surface. Mr. Wammy looked down kindly at her; L was still in awe at the fight, speechless. "L, you can eat as much candy as you want! But I want to leave some for the miniature humans back home, Mr. Wammy." She addressed both males; grabbing their hands and making a bee line for Yara's Sweet Shop. L kept his thoughts bouncing between the fight, Kat being so joyful and how he was going to get so much sugar filled things.

-

Back at the Orphanage, the children were ecstatic when they were given candy out of a gigantic truck. Kat was hiding in her room, she had asked Mr. Wammy to not tell them that she had gotten it for them, even if it could be a sort of peace offering, she just thought that she and L alone could not eat the sweets alone and if they told the Orphans it was from her, they would think it diseased or something, so better it not go to waste.

L was right next to Kat, hearing the cries of joy from the children bellow, a large mountain of sweets piled in front of them. Maybe Kat was not as he first thought, the seven and a half year old boy thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Kat stood before the hearth in Mr. Wammy's office, reading a book called "_The Witch Of Blackbird Pond,_" half falling asleep. L had his head of mussed raven hair in another one of the dictionaries she had found for him, pronouncing words he did not quite admit to being unable to pronounce.

In the past few weeks, the little bonds between the two and Mr. Wammy grew, she did not have quite the word to describe it but all she knew was that for some reason she felt protective of her quaint little group. She flipped another page, mumbling about snooty people needing slaves because they were too lazy.

The nice roaring fire was casting a warm light across the two orphans, making shadows dance on their pale faces. Mr. Wammy had asked them both on an odd cold August day if they wanted to be warmed by the fire.

Unsure of how to answer, the children were quiet, wondering what answer he would prefer to hear. However, Mr. Wammy advised them to grab books and head to his office. All around the Orphanage, it was being spread that Mr. Wammy favored the two misfits. The children were trying to be a tad bit more kind to Kat, wanting a bit of her good fortune to rub off on them. She saw through their schemes, noticing that familiar characteristic that those adult humans at the labs had. She shuddered at it; these miniature ones turning into malicious people with no morals whatsoever.

Her eyes drifted from her book once again to L, as he pointed at a katakana symbol. (ギャ)

"That would be the Katakana symbol for 'gya,' it has the same beginning character as gyo and gyu, only the second changes when writing." She mused silently, cherishing the nice soothing atmosphere.

Kat took pride in the fact that by Chinese reckoning, she was eight years old, (Chinese are considered one year old at birth and gain one year on New years so she was Two years old by the time L would have been less than four months old) therefore, she steeled herself into helping someone who was "younger" than her ("Only by a few hours at most," L would mumble tersely when she would mention the fact in passing.).

Kat took a deep breath, the smell of hickory wood chips flooding her lungs.

Her thoughts flickered over to a more pressing matter. What did she want to pursue in her life? She had come to the conclusion a few days after she came back from Brazil that she needed to find a new purpose for her life, a career, as the humans put it. She knew that she wanted to make a name for herself, bar the one that said she was the only cat girl in history.

But, to her chagrin, there were few jobs out with other humans that would hide her quirks or her knack for things out of the norm. That eliminated just about the majority of the jobs out there, and then just about all of them if you added in the fact that she had no intention of settling for anything that prevented her from fighting and venting or bringing justice to the world she had begun to hate in her earlier days as an experiment in the labs.

Across from her, L reviewed the Katakana characters; he had been in the process of memorizing everything, occasionally turning to Kat to ask her how to say things when he saw either a bored grimace on her face or that spark of anger that told him she was remembering something from her past.

In the last few months, he had come to terms with the fact that everyone had their own sob story if they were in an Orphanage at all, just some worse than others. Mr. Wammy had came to him, and pulled him away from the other envious or admiring children that had swarmed him one afternoon when he had come to the library to find a few more books to submerge himself in.

_L's blank eyes focused on the titles of the books, trying to see which ones he might like and which ones were better suited for Kat. _

_It was raining outside again and the poor girl was confined to her room again, mumbling incoherently about the skies leaking water more than _she_ did after she woke up from a nightmare. _

_So L, being the polite roommate ("And friend," A small voice in the back of his head whispered, oddly reminding him of how Kat would chastise him when he forgot to pick up his candy wrappers or brush his teeth after eating said sweets.)_ _he fetched books for them both on these rare days that Kat did not even have the energy to get up from bed or manage to get a spoon to her lips by herself. ("I feel so pitiful," She would murmur in a feeble voice, vexed. "Cannot even manage to feed myself.") _

_L skillfully ignored the children that asked him of what he was reading, of when there next trip to Brazil might be and the ones who were asking brusquely if he wanted to read with them. _

_He only mentioned to the youngest ones, the toddling ones who had grown somewhat close to the quiet yet mischievous feline girl; that she was fine, waiting for the rain to pass so they could go about with her. _

_Those were the far and few times he would come out with her to the playground, secretly keeping a look out for any of the older Orphans that wanted to pick a row with her. The silent sentinel sitting under the tree: watching the girl pounce around, changing from kitten to half human to panther in a cycle for the children's entertainment. ("The younger ones' seem more innocent and pure than the older ones, it is easier to trust them," She answered him one evening when he asked why she trusted them so unconventionally and not elder ones she could somewhat relate to.)_

_The gray eyed boy was at the library caretaker's desk, arms laden with thick volumes and novels. _

_The caretaker had smiled a wrinkly grin, her blue eyes shimmering with curiosity. "She bed ridden again, L?" Mrs. Mercy would ask politely, concern flashing in her eyes as she catalogued the books that he was taking out. _

"_Unfortunately, yes, she has not been able to get out of bed since late last night," He spoke silently, having picked up the quiet tendency of her voice, adding his apathetic tone to it. "Roger says that she will be mobilr again when the rain passes." _

_Mrs. Mercy nodded, placing the books back into L's hands. "Well then, let's hope the rain passes quickly then," She said._

"_Indeed," A familiar voice said form behind L. Turning around with a hidden smile, L saw Mr. Wammy, dressed in some casual clothes. Well, casual to him only, suspenders and a dress shirt. "L, I want to have a word with you in my office, Gladdice, dear could you send those books up with some of the younger children? L and I might take a while," he asked the kind caretaker._

"_Of course, Quillish," She confirmed, nodding her consent to him. _

_Mr. Wammy steered L away from the library and through the lit corridors leading to his office. _

_L's mind was floundering, why would Mr. Wammy want to speak to him alone? If he wanted to speak of another trip than it would have been more appropriate to do so in Kat's presence, weak or not: so that was out of the question. _

_Mr. Wammy caught the distress flashing through the raven haired boy's wide gray eyes, settling his hand on his shoulder, he assured him. "You have no reason to panic, L. I just want to speak to you about something, how does Kat phrase it? Trivial?" _

_This did not settle L. "Kat thinks that what started the World Wars was trivial," He muttered monotonously. Mr. Wammy struggled to keep down his chuckles._

_They clambered into Mr. Wammy's office, L making his way to the small chair that was singled out in the elegant room. Mr. Wammy settled himself at his very grandeur desk. _

"_Now, L," He busied himself, taking out a file from a drawer. "I have wanted to tell you a bit about Kat, or Kew Keikan."_

That afternoon was filled with vague descriptions of Kat's living situation prior to coming to the Orphanage. That just pressed one concept into his mind. The need for justice. Kat was not the only one that was completely enveloped in what her life could possibly turn out as, but unlike her, L had decided on his career already; he was just waiting for Kat to settle what she wanted to tell Mr. Wammy.

Kat slammed her book shut. "Idiotic, barbarian _humans _accusing people and destroying whatever threatens their perfect little existence!" She spat the word humans out, green eyes seething behind her usually curious façade. Uncouth words spilled from her lips before they turned into the hissing fits and outraged mews she had resorted to less than a year ago in her sterile living quarters. She hated the way the adult human mind worked! So selfish and narrow!

"Kat, calm down," L tried his hand at soothing, lowering his voice. She turned her glare towards him, "Why?! Humans infuriate me so! Gah! They are just--! GRAH! _Bakayarou! Kareraha matta kuwakara nai! Korera no orokana kuritenosu! Kareraha yoku rooto Jigoku no kamo shire nai ga, han zai shajin kouno nokorino bubun!" They have no idea! Those stupid cretins! They might has well rot in hell with the rest of the criminal population! _She jumped from language to language, not quite yelling but not using an indoor voice either.

"Kat," She was startled by the person that had his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look him straight in the eye. "Calm down, not all humans are like that anymore, that was just the witch trials, more than three centuries ago." L spoke clearly with conviction, having given up on trying to soothe her in the way he saw the caretakers do to the other orphans when they through tantrums.

Her breathing evened, heart beat slowed as she focused on L, letting her brain process the information. At least there are some humans that are not so biased, she thought.

Unknown to them, Mr. Wammy had witnessed the majority of it all from the half way open door.

A week later, she was in L and her room, looking at her slightly long claws, running them softly over her quilt.

She had decided.

"L," She called to the boy that was reading a book about Sherlock Holmes. "You want to be a detective, do you not?"

L raised his head from his literature, wondering how she had deduced that. "Yes, and yourself?" He asked, some inquisitiveness seeping into his voice.

Kat brought her hand to claw into the other, a nervous habit. "I would like to…be a support of sorts…yet, independent." She said, eyes focusing on the dark red carpet.

"Care to elaborate?" He inquired, closing his book. She had caught his attention.

Kat brought her hands together, twiddling her fingers. "Well, it is to say, _eto_, you are the detective, you need contacts, support, someone to do the dirty work and infiltrate, and see what is going on in the Underworld." She spoke fast, keeping her voice at nearly a whisper.

"You could call the shots, become the greatest detective the world has seen, I can execute missions, bodyguard, locating anything, or maybe we could establish our names, the great detective L and the- the—_oi, _what was I going to call it?" She asked the last part to herself, black eyebrows furrowed.

L cocked a brow. "Spy? Undercover agent? Anonymous vigilante?" He listed, trying to see if anything triggered her usually photographic memory.

She snapped her fingers, only succeeding in a muffled sound of flesh on flesh. "It is a combination of all, though I am leaning toward an amalgamation of Undercover Agent and Special Operations, using the alias K instead of Kat," She confirmed, a nice happy glow in her emerald eyes.

L put his thumb on his bottom lip. "So, Special Ops Agent K, or would you prefer Agent K for short?"

Kat nodded her head somewhat timidly, the words sounding silly coming from L. But then, to her surprise, he shrugged. "That sounds fine, let's go tell Mr. Wammy."

L got off of his bed, Kat shadowing him.

Mr. Wammy was very flabbergasted when the two nearly eight year olds ("I am _already_ _eight,_ Mr. Wammy, by Chinese reckoning!" Kat said scornfully.) He agreed enthusiastically to their requests, offering himself as an assistant to both children.

So this was the start of their careers.

-

L had undergone training, just as K had, but she had progressed a bit faster. He was stuck doing practice cases that were staged in the Orphanage while she was just hiding herself, spooking people, and learning more styles of fighting. Right now, she was zipping up a tight jacket over her chest bindings, the bell choker that L had gotten her for _their_ eighth birthdays being slipped into her pocket. The silver bracelet she had gotten him with an Old English "L" hidden by his sleeves.

"This is so unbelievably easy, it is almost frustrating." L muttered turning to K as she tied her hair back than started tied on her silk mask. "It will be over soon, L, that I am sure of. You will not need to do the easy stuff, soon you will make a name for yourself, do not worry." She comforted, giving a soft smile.

L rolled his eyes. "Says the one who only needed to polish her skills and is off to some criminal hideout for the British government." The sarcasm was painfully obvious in his voice. He had noticed that she seemed to take most things in the literal sense and needed for people to make it obvious when they were using sarcasm or teasing her.

Her smile turned cheeky, "Oh yes, dodging bullets, apprehending a mass murderer, easy as pie, though I doubt it is _your_ cup of tea, L."

With that she waved, walking out to what would be her first mission.

-

"K? Calm down, what do you mean you succeeded but are in need of…? Medical attention? Yes, you are completely right, you simply cannot go the hospital, it would mean you would have to reveal yourself. You left no evidence you were there, correct? As for the criminal, you have him blind folded and bound so just knock…oh my, how painful that sounds…What do you mean bring L?...." Mr. Wammy, or the newly acclaimed Watari spoke on a small device he had invented, a convenient two-way radio.

L looked up from the faux case he had just completed, wondering what on earth was happening over with K's mission.

"Yes, I will be right on it, K—yes, Kuro when you are on missions to stay inconspicuous," And with that, static filled the small device.

Watari looked down at L, an odd emotion flashing through both their eyes. "Come, L, we must pick up K from the scene."

-

L was wide eyed as he saw a burning building with two figures near the pavement. The flickering flames were steadily engulfing the building, tendrils of them spilling out of the windows.

The car stopped right in front of the figures and L made sure to open the door and file out. It was very dark out and K was in the shadows so it was hard to see if she was injured at all. With a great show of strength, she threw the man in the backseat on the floor, hissing when she heard something pop on her arm. The girl jumped in right after, sitting near the window in her crouched position. "Hurry up, L! Before the proper authorities come!" She said from her seat, motioning frantically for the raven haired boy to get in. Only then noticing he was holding up the car, L got in, balancing himself on the balls of his feet.

"What happened?" He asked, not noticing the tremor of his voice as he gripped his knees so hard his knuckles turned white.

K glared at the man that was sprawled in front of her through her silk mask. "This one just thought he would have a better chance of getting away if he burned the whole building. Idiot," She scoffed, wanting to kick the man oh-so much. But these childish emotions would not suffice; she needed to stay in her K persona until this fiend was off of her hands.

She opened her mouth but Watari intervened as she was about to recount the tale. "What are we to do about the criminal, K?"

Her face cleared of all emotion. "Create a rendezvous point for the client, somewhere secluded where business could be attended to without the eyes of other humans prying, then we can put half the monetary pay into the Wammy Orphanage and the rest into a private bank account under an alias, and tell the client to spread word round of Agent K and her associates." With that final comment she turned back to L, face scrunched up in pain when her left limp arm bumped with her thigh.

"Okay, this is how it all went…" L listened in, absorbing all of the almost fictitious details.

_Kat had snuck into the large building inhabited by only one man, it was large and made of red bricks, ominous windows scattered around haphazardly. _

_The building itself reeked of trouble._

_She was clinging to the walls, ears wide open and twitching at the slightest sound. As soon as she took in a breath, she nearly gagged at the coarse smell of tobacco smoke. Her eyes were drinking in all the corridors, the directions she had pored over for at least two hours coming out beautifully. Sure she was directionally challenged but that did not mean she could not execute her own plan. _

_From there, it was easy to find the moronic criminal named Joshua Emerson. He had tried to run away from her, resorting to throwing his tobacco onto a stack of papers. _

_At that point, she managed to yank a flailing criminal out the window and land on the ground, to wait for Watari._

But she did not mention the important details, like how she sustained injuries. That was her own fault. The stupid man had started throwing objects at her, surreptitiously hiding the fact that he was going to shoot her. 

L looked on at her worried when he noticed how her right hand was cupping under the left, catching a crimson liquid. K shifted uncomfortably when she caught him staring at one of her wounds. What a career this would turn out for her. And him both.

_**Madeline Cullen: I thank those whom have reviewed this story, **__Black Lotus Flower __**and**__ Timekeeper101__**, I appreciate it! Now I just want the rest of you whom have read my story to give me some feed back! It would do me some good to know this story is not a complete failure or tell me if I have done something wrong! **_

_**This Chapter has now been revised as of the second of May of 2009.**_


	5. Chapter 5

A twelve year old Kat lay sprawled on the ground

1994 October 24th

A twelve year old Kat lay sprawled on the ground. Examining a few case files with L. This habit had only started two years ago, three years after they both started chasing their destinies.

L had developed a love for justice, one almost as grand as hers, so he asked Mr. Wammy to become a detective, an anonymous one. Just like that his detective career took off.

But Kat, newly named K, decided on a more adventurous avenue. Loving the thrill of adrenaline, she asked of Mr. Wammy, newly christened Watari if she could do hands on work without revealing who she was. Of course, that turned her into a sort of vigilante that was in league with the authorities. But she also worked cases with L.

It was an odd day in Winchester when she and L had paired up for a case, it was no surprise to the people at the Orphanage but the authorities were somewhat in awe. By then, L had built a name for himself a part from K, him as the famous Detective L and her as the infamous K, accomplice to justice.

She took on cases that were only up to par with her experience, at first, she had to learn the hard way that she could not jump in head first into something she did not know how to handle. She came out of her first mission with a broken tail, bullet in the left arm and a few scratches. But then K gained speed, advancing through the cases and missions like no other person, managing to get the stuff that FBI usually ranked in no time. Of course, she had to mingle in the Underworld a good bit, finding out what was new amongst the criminals. The only down side, in her opinion.

Her first case with L, she very nearly through a tantrum at the nonexistent ground work she was getting. They were ten at the time, and K had established in the Orphanage her foul bouts of anger at the humans' lack of competency. A hissy fit was the last thing anyone wanted.

_1992 July 27th_

_K was sitting in L and her room; clad in all black from head to toe. She was frowning at the files in front of her, disliking the fact that she was not outside tracking down some mafia member, mass murderer or even her least favorite, guarding some old person whose life was endangered. She swiped her hair away from her face, now glaring at the print in front of her. Must she be forced to do the idiotic behind the scenes work with L? _

_She was on the verge of telling L off for making her focus on something trivial for a week without so much as a word from him when she caught something. _

"_L, I believe I have found the link between the murders, does the fact that the SOG team that was on hand on the previous murder was disregarding direct orders from higher ups? This might be an Underworld case." K handed the reports over to L, taking out the phone with the synthetic voice. _

"_Mr. South? Yes, this is K. we have made a significant breakthrough, please apprehend the team of black ops you dispatched to the crime scene, the ones who have a disregard for authority. The charges are Murder in the First Degree, Five counts of fraud, and ah…two counts of theft, consequence should be...what in the world is that? L, that does not look legible, do I have to make you go over writing basics? Oh, it says, lifetime without parole." She spoke, a tone of annoyance in it. _

_L glared at her, his handwriting was perfectly legible. She was the one that barely could turn her chicken scratch into the roman alphabet. _

"_Yes, we appreciate your cooperation in the case as well, pass on the word of Detective L and Agent K, please. Yes, goodbye." She finished, pressing the end button softly. _

"_Your 'Ts' looks like an 'Fs,' your 'Rs' looks like an 'Ns' and vice versa." She mused, reaching to grab a book. Having given up with trying to go out to stretch. _

1994 October 25th

Kat was sitting on a chair, eyeing every piece of information that L had let her see, withholding what he deemed useless. ("No piece of evidence, L, is ever significant if you do not thoroughly investigate," She was quick to admonish in her calm and quiet voice. He rolled his eyes and through a faux glare at her, "Even if the information is something like, oh, grocery receipts for a pack of gum?" She smiled ruefully, "Maybe the gum was a major part of the crime scene?" Though even _Kat_, whom was curious and unknowing of the reason behind human intentions knew that it was unlikely.)

"Lawliet always picks the most challenging case he can find, how _like_him," She murmured, looking down the pictures of the scene. Kat had picked up the habit of calling L by his last name, saying that she felt privileged to be one of the only ones to know it. Both of them were proud with what they had accomplished in two years time; she had spread word of the Detective L and he of Agent K. It was odd, Mr. Wammy had taken a before and after picture with the security cameras, and what they saw was just about one of the worse things Kat ever had.

She was smiling with Lawliet in one, he had his crooked smile on and they seemed almost _normal._ Than next to it, a looming figure donning nothing but black, apathetic to everything and a boy hunched over his computer, dark bags forming under his eyes. That was the day she just about nearly punch a hole in a wall. Yelling about humans tainting her, humans turning her _evil_, influencing her like the scientists. It took a good while for L to calm her down, saying that K and Kat were two very different people, just like L and Lawliet, Watari and Mr. Wammy. Some days she wondered why she even bothered with life, hating the fact that she was trying to cleanse a world that was laden with evil to great for her to cure. But, at least she was helping somewhat.

_The only emotions I have any clue about, _she thought bitterly, the morbid tone of K sinking in. _Anger, curiosity, confusion, fondness, worry, frustration, trust, morose and __**hate.**_

She glanced at the transcripts of the phone calls that the victim had made before her death, switching from that and the computer screen in front of her, she was itching to stretch her muscles, practice that great strength and speed she had tamed. But then a surge of confusion swept over Kat, causing her delicate eyebrows to furrow. Was she K or Kat right now?

"Is there a prime suspect yet, L?" Yes, she was very much feeling confused now. Perhaps she was Kew Keikan? Neither the science experiment filled with hate or the emotionless agent. Just the _human_ side of her.

"Yes, one Laurenzo Alfonzo," He said, grimacing at the Hispanic name. They never liked that language, having deemed it too odd for their liking.

She looked up into his tired eyes, obscured by his messy raven locks. He sounded tired, but that was to be expected, they both barely got a wink of sleep between his cases, her missions or a combination effort of both.

"Should I dispatch a SWAT team or settle for the local authorities? The ICPO will not like that, though," She murmured, flicking a strand of hair out of her face.

L shifted in his seat, turning to her with his gray eyes boring into her own slitted ones. "SWAT, the police won't be able to handle this one."

Kat nodded, sending a wordy message giving all of the facts and that they had sufficient evidence to prosecute and win the case.

She sighed, closing her laptop and flopping down on the bed. "We are in dire need of a…break." She spoke quietly through a yawn, rubbing her eyes.

L had no intention to disagree with her; he was good as dead asleep on his chair in front of the main computer. Kat opened one eye to see the worn out twelve year old's head had lolled onto his chest. (Yes, she still prided herself in saying she was a year older.) Sighing, she pulled her small frame out of the bed, sliding her hands under Lawliet's arms, trying to pull him out. She yanked fruitlessly, but she was not trying to hard for fear of waking him up. Kat threw her parka to her bed, flexing her fingers and trying to look at the situation from a critical view. Taking into account that she was drowsy, famished, fatigued and lacking in everything because of it.

She sighed again, running a hand through her choppy shoulder length hair, a habit she picked up from the other children. _Okay,_ she began her foggy analysis. _He is in a rolling chair, he is taller than me by two inches and is it me or is Lawliet muttering something that suspiciously had the same tune as Kew Keikan? Oh, this is absolutely frustrating!_

With halfhearted pulls she managed to move his chair near his bed. "Sleeps like the dead," She murmured; the irritation in her voice nearly clear.

She heaved Lawliet onto the bed, throwing a bunch of blankets on him so he would not get cold or contract something. Being too tired to even get to her own bed, Kat settled for resting her muddled head next to Lawliet's little cocoon of warmth.

-

Little rays of sun were filtering through her vision, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut more and just curl up tighter.

"Kat, get up, we are leaving," The voice of L not Lawliet, she noted. What was happening? Heaving a sigh, she jumped onto her feet, arms limp between her legs as she sat crouched. "What is it?" She ask, her quiet voice a bit rough.

"We're leaving, Watari wants to take us somewhere. I do not know where." And with that, he seemed to orient himself around the room. The dark blush on his face went unnoticed by Kat.

She began her own packing when a thought floated around her head. "L, please go tend to your teeth, we do not want a dentist appointment hindering our careers." The command in her voice was strict, almost maternal. But, oddly, still held her soft tenor. She gave him a bleary eyed glare, it was practical for him to keep his health up, but he seemed to just darken even more at the command. Trying to make the mood a bit lighter, he murmured, "Yes, _mother._"

Pain flashed across her face at the word. Was she that much of a tyrant? She associated the term mother with that hag that tried to shoot her all of the time and how she would ignore Kat's pleas for food or non raggedy clothing.

Lawliet, with his keen eye, did not miss the subtle change in Kat's demeanor as she meekly gathered her things. To anyone else, she would have just seemed to be going on as usual, nothing out of the norm. But having lived with the strange girl named Lovable Fierce Strength he had more experience with her guarded eyes than even her previous "owners" (as she spat one day, never wanting the term guardian and her previous 'owners' in the same sentence. It was blasphemy in her eyes.) But that did not come with consequence for Lawliet. He himself had to let her into his own mind to learn anything relevant from her. She knew some of his deepest secrets but never how he came to be in the orphanage, which was the only piece of information that remained relatively private to the two prodigies.

Kat slumped to the ground when she was finished, obscene scenes flashing through her head. She ignored Lawliet's glances as he tried to discreetly put as much candy into his pack. Her thoughts were too mussed. She scrambled to get them out, to purify her tainted head. It was amazing how one thing could set her off.

_I am turning into a monster, nothing but an emotionless weapon, succeeding those scientists' hopes._ A low hiss began to build in her chest, a growl mixed in, so quiet only she noticed. Her instincts were going wild; her human half was trying hard to control the more feral part that was bound to start ripping up the first human that came within her vicinity. But she was neither, not human, not animal, she did not fit into any category a human could fathom besides an abnormality, an abomination created out of sheer human desire.

Lawliet looked out the window, wondering briefly if she was like this, in a weakened state because rain might be coming. He swept some of his bangs out of his eyes; no, there was not a cloud outside, just pure blue uninterrupted. He glanced back at her, hearing the slightest hums in the air.

Her eyes were going wild, hands twitching as she held herself, almost to prevent from shattering to pieces. He had finished packing; he edged closer to her but stopped when he saw her go rigid, tensing herself. _What on earth…?_

Than her form blurred a bit, the slight sound of shuffling as her form changed quickly into…a great white tiger.

A snarl rose from her, hackles raised, she seemed to be trying to say something. Lawliet backed up a step, noticing that his friend was buried somewhere within this, not at all fully conscious of what she was doing. He looked the great feline in the eyes, seeing a dark emerald color. But it was not what he thought he would see. Panic, worry and _fear._

Lawliet continued to back off, taking heed of the hidden message in her eyes. Lawliet searched his mind to think of what could have possibly thrown her into such a state. She was perfectly fine until he teased her; called her _mother. _Lawliet winced, he was the reason she seemed so distressed.

Kat's eyes darted everywhere but the human in front of her, not wanting to rip him to shreds for insulting her. In her heart of hearts, she recognized that he was just teasing her like usual, but why do humans tease? That question along with many others ran rapid threw her head.

Concentrating fairly hard, she managed to bring herself into her half human form, falling to the ground in shambles, eyes leaking again.

Lawliet tried approaching again. This was too reminiscent of when she would wakeup from her nightmares, the only change that he would not stand by and hopefully wish she would not get them anymore. He came down to her level, ignoring her protests and wrapped his arms around her awkwardly, rubbing his pale hand down the length of her back, trying her best at calming her.

Kat hiccupped, grabbing Lawliet's shirt with impressive force, sullying his white shirt. _Lawliet is always trying to bring me back to normal,_ she thought bitterly through her sorrow. _Such a…an odd person, to care for an experimental abomination such as I._

-

Mr. Wammy had brought them to a ware house, with nothing but a few computer systems on the floor, basic living necessities and a sort of training room for her. He said they were somewhere in the forests of China, never divulging anymore information. He said that they had cases to work on here and it would be more convenient to be near the crime scene. L took it in stride, commending Watari's choice, thinking it appropriate. There would be less distractions, he had said.

Kat just ignored the conversation, settling for distancing herself ever the bit, not wanting to interfere with their reasoning.

She only had one mindset in her head.

One mantra that kept her going, kept her from letting her self destructive thoughts lead her to one of the ample weapons she had at her disposal.

_Support L. Nothing but support, doing the dirty work while cleaning the world up. Help L. Lawliet and Quillish "Watari" Wammy. _

And that is the only thing that kept her going for more than a decade.


	6. Chapter 6

A lean figure was draped over her bed, trying to concentrate on what she wanted. The figure had shoulder length choppy ebony and silver hair with two fluffy ears coming out of her head, feline features, and looked average save for the tail that was swaying behind her. Ah, but this was Kat, the infamous Agent K was in her zone, trying to make it so that her feline features could go away just as easily as she could her human features. She was completely peaceful, clearing her head of her depressed thoughts could do that to her.

The woman of twenty four years was sitting behind her partner and what he called "best friend" (though she could not comprehend the concept, knowing first hand that most humans were vile to each other and had nothing to do with the proclamation.) L. Lawliet. He barely changed over the years, just as she barely changed. Sure they had matured in the sense that they had not baby fat, she taught him Capoeira and they both maintained their views on life.

But a few did, in fact change; Lawliet was taller, standing at a proud five foot ten, while she had stopped growing at five foot seven. Her body adjusted itself to the career she had chosen, meaning, to the disappointment of men, the bindings that were kept over her chest to keep her modesty well, that area seemed small. To them, who preferred busty women, but I digress, they had gotten a knack for things by the time they were fourteen so they were quite used to either a warehouse or a fancy hotel as their temporary homes.

Kat furrowed her brows in conversation, breathing in and out slowing, making her whole body believe she was only a human, with no fluffy ears or tail or any of the extra aesthetics. L glanced back at her in his hunched way, biting his thumb lightly as he saw it right in front of him.

The ear that he had grown used to seeing on Kat practically melted away in an odd way, though it seemed more as if she was folding her ears, her tail vanished before his eyes in a hazy mist and the silver in her hair turned into a pure ebony, shining blue. And then it all came back in a trembling mess.

Her green eyes snapped open, momentarily a dull emerald with a normal pupil until they melted back into the way she usually looked. "Gah!" She fumed silently, irritated with herself.

L gave her his usual blank stare before turning back to his computer. Hissing slightly, she made her way to a couch, flopping backward with her legs on the armrest.

"You did it, even if it was for a second or two," He deliberated, closing all of his files before sending an automated message with all of the information on the case they were working on. She craned her neck to look at him. "I highly doubt that I can go out in public with only 'a second or two' of being a human. Those prying eyes would notice that I am out of the norm, ship me off to a barbaric lab." Uncouth words came tumbling out after that.

"You're too much of a perfectionist," Lawliet said, opening pages on some police reports from Japan.

"That I am," She said, jumping off the couch and opening her own laptop, eyes flashing across paged of what were mission requests. She was quiet for the most part, eliminating the easy cases that were below her expertise, conceited as it sounded. But then, a video feed caught her attention. It was the one she had set up at the ICPO when a meeting was going on. She put the sound on, listening to the details.

"L…?" She called quietly, half motioning with her tail. But L was already at her shoulder, looking at the feed. Their eyes stayed glued to the screen until they began repeating information.

Kat backed up from her laptop, lowering the volume. "This is interesting, if not disturbing." Her eyes turned to her speculative partner, tilting her silver and ebony head in waiting.

L seemed deep in thought, many things going through his head, such as: he was going to be on this case, how did Kat manage to infiltrate such a guarded place (but then he noticed the idiocy behind the question), and where were his cookies.

"L? L? L. Lawliet! Talk!" She said, exasperated with the silence, heaven knows she had enough of it when they were on cases or anything.

He snapped out of it and looked down at her, thumb to his pale lips. "I do believe that we are going to _Nihon,_" He said in Japanese, a cute smile on his lips as he saw her light up slightly.

"Yay! I got some good mission there!" Kat said, clearly enthused at not needing to take the boring tasks. "Mr. Wammy! We are going to Japan!" She hollered, writhing with joy.

-

She was scowling, silk mask in place as she balanced precariously from atop a big screen with the letter L in an intimidating script. The ICPO had never seen the girl that they enlisted for help, and why they needed to see her in person now was beyond her. They claimed that she was to elusive and might be playing her cards against them or something like that. All of the old geezers were yelling at each other, hurting her delicate ears.

She tracked her green eyes across the room, letting her arms rest against her dark clothed body. The ICPO meeting place was no more than a large auditorium that resembled something that would be found in a university, save for the fact that instead of younger humans lounging about and talking eagerly, her eyes met with middle aged police officers who were mumbling about someone named Kira and Agent K and Detective L.

"If that's the case than we'll have no choice but to bring in L and K!" The man in front of everyone spoke loudly.

Kat's eyes zoned in on the two speaking about L and K, introducing them to the younger looking of the two.

"Ah, chief, what's this L and K they're talking about?" The younger one asked, looking at his Chief with the inquisitiveness of some child. This one had much to learn of the world.

"Ah, right, I forgot that it was your first time at this conference." The older one, the Chief of police Yagami Soichiro, responded. "We don't know L or K's real name or whereabouts, infact, we still don't know what they look like, however, L has managed to solve every case he's ever taken on and he's tackled some of the greatest mysteries this world has ever known, he hides in the shadows, but he's the best of the best, a last resort, our trump card, a long with K, he is the greatest Special Agent, she pairs up with L on occasion but has managed to execute plans and capture criminals that the FBI considered Suicide Missions," He finished his long winded speech.

"But I've heard that this L and K are extremely arrogant! And they only take on cases that they are personally interested in!" One rebuffed.

"That's exactly right! Besides, we don't even know how to contact him!" Another agreed. All of them were leaning or standing when they spoke into the microphones, stomping their feet or making an odd gesture to make their point.

"L and K are already on the move," Watari's voice sounded from the back of the auditorium. He walked towards the front, shoes tapping with every step as the room went quiet.

"Gentleman, L and K have already begun their own investigation into these incidences," He paused as someone whispered "Watari."

"Huh? Whose that?" The young one from before asked, turning to Chief Yagami.

"That man is the only known person able to contact L or K, nobody knows his identity either." He said, looking at the younger one through the corner of his eyes. Murmurs broke out through the auditorium.

"Please be silent, L would now like to address the delegates."

Watari opened a lap top, or, Kat's laptop to be precise, a soft _ping _and then a gothic style L appeared on the screen bellow Kat.

"Greeting to the ICPO, _I_am L," The synthesized voice made Kat cringe slightly at the barely-there static. She muttered silently about faulty electric lines that she would ask Watari to fix.

"And my associate," He said. Kat could imagine him glaring at the screen, a bit irked that he could not see her from his vantage point. Since her laptop was here he had no way of seeing things from the camera she had installed. At her cue she jumped down onto the stage, holding the veil that was on her head down. She landed in a crouch, looking at everyone with her head tilted, a slight sneer on her face. In her opinion most of these maniacs probably supported labs with mutant children. She held no respect for them.

Her goal today was to frighten or freak out the delegates and others, or in the very least intimidate them. "Hello," She said, lifting herself up into an erect posture with her hands limp in front of her. "I am Agent K." Her voice was sultry with an edge to it. "Pleasure to finally _see_ you all." She snickered purposely at the word "see." Not only did she want to freak them out, but it was part of an elaborate façade she had worked out for herself. Make them think she was insane, make them think she was dangerous, make them think she had a psychological problem, all so that they could not link her with any of her other aliases or her underground Nicknames.

_October 31st 2006, Miami, Florida, United States_

_Kat wandered through the streets of Miami, looking at all of the humans who were close to each other and more scantily clad than even she usually was. Her ears and tail were hidden, tail through the loops of her shorts and ears in a ribbon. Mr. Wammy had insisted that she wear something other than her usual chest bindings so she switched them for something called a halter top, one that just covered the necessities. She walked through the streets, cursing at any human that tried to run her over or something. _

_It was October 31st again; L was turning twenty four while she was turning twenty five by Chinese reckoning. She absolutely loved to see Lawliet's face when she said it smugly, a habit she picked up from being around criminals when she was in the underworld. She wanted to pull L out with her but he said he would find her later. No doubt he would find a mask of some sort or some other way to attract attention to themselves. Her calm sauntering stride was interrupted when a fairly large man stepped in front of her, speaking in ragged English with a Hispanic accent. Kat frowned, fingers twitching. _

"No thank you, now please move, I would like to enter the beach," _She said crossly in Spanish. The man just leaned up against her, wrapping his hands against her exposed back. She glared at the man, having no intentions to do what ever his dirty mind intended to. "_Get your filthy paws off of me you insufferable HUMAN!_" She practically screamed, trying to move to do something any other 'helpless' girl could do in a situation like this. She cursed the fact that there were so many witnesses around, they probably thought that this was a lover's quarrel or something. _

_She struggled, and struggled until the man tried to drag her away. She muttered foully under her breath, looking straight up at the man, bearing her white teeth, hissing through them. She hoped to god he thought she was just some crazy girl that was not worthy or something along those lines. The sun was high above their heads, and the burly man's arm's began to perspire, causing them to become slick. She tried to use this to her advantage but received nothing through her efforts. _Great,_ she thought incensed. _I am in one of the largest cities in the world and not one human notices the girl struggling in a potential rapist's arms. Another reason to hate humans.

"Ookina bukotsu shawosa se te iku!"_ She screamed infused with anger. _Let go of me you big oaf!

"I suggest you let her go," _A monotone voice said from behind them. She stopped her thrashing, going limp in the man's arms. _To be saved by him.

_The big man turned around to L, sneering slightly as K, not Kat, resisted the growing desire to just shred the man to pieces. "_And what are you going to do about it, kid?"_ K was loosing her patience, she looked L straight in the eye, trying to see what he would do._

"Well, if you ever want to see the light of day…" He _trailed off, placing his thumb to his lips, taking a step back. _He is letting me fight him off? He is letting me potentially expose us for what we are? _AS if to acknowledge her thoughts, L nodded inching backwards. _

_K took a deep breath then let a snarl rip through her. "_Hey want to see a magic trick I was working on?" _She asked in a sultry tone. It was something she and L had worked on in the orphanage for the little ones. At the word magic L waved his hand in the air and she turned into a large white tiger, snarling her lungs out. By now they were in an alley way, dark and dank compared to the rest of the city. The man dropped her, her size being to much for him. She snapped her jaws at him, stepping forward and threatening him. Needless to say the burly and repulsive oaf left running with his tail between his legs, no pun intended. Kat changed back, sighing slightly, turning towards L._

"_Thanks, moronic humans think I belong to them." L merely nodded and walked out. Only then did she notice he was wearing a wife beater and some board shorts, a white shopping bag in hand. Jogging up to him, she looked pointedly at the bag, trying to convey a message._

"_Watari thought it would be good for us if we were out in the sun or water, he forced me to change, you have a two piece in the bag." He said, a somewhat annoyed tone in his voice. _

Present Day

Yes, that was where she got this persona from. K struggled to not yawn or fall asleep standing. L was just going over the information they had put together and their plan.

Somehow, the cat girl had a feeling that she was going to be putting her life at risk many times during this case.

**MADDY: I hope you liked this, if you have any qualms about the story, suggestions or criticisms then please put it in the form of a review. I like feedback, it helps me improve my writing and tells me what you guys prefer or are used to. Or just commenting on L or K works too. I will do my best to keep the updates going, just depends on my computer time. **


	7. Chapter 7

"Direct Confrontation" was what they had discussed

"Direct Confrontation" was what they had discussed. L was going to test his theory out just as she was in her own way.

She had told Lawliet her intentions as soon as she arrived with Mr. Wammy from the meeting. She had worded her plan so that it would not sound as outrageous and spontaneous, trying to get it on Lawliet's good side. Over the years he had grown weary of her ideas, commenting "Your plans are brash and too overzealous, you will get yourself killed one of these days." And then he bit into her strawberry cake. She admitted that she was not too fond of the plan herself but it was for the sake of the case. IN her mind she had categorized the serial killer named "Kira" as; a spoiled child with similar morals as us. (Us being Lawliet and herself)

She twirled her hair lightly as she looked over Lawliet's shoulder, wrinkling her nose at the voice synthesizer. With a huff, she leaned back, "Make sure you take off the extra static, you will kill the other cats in the city with it." She muttered, stretching.

"Yes, that is the third time you tell me Kat." He mused, fiddling with some dials.

Kat sighed, "I can tell you a dozen times and you still will not listen." She retorted, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Touché."

The corner of her lips twitched but then she noticed the time. "_Kuso,_ I have to get ready if I want to execute my plan."

Lawliet froze, turning around. "Be careful, we do not need any casualties other than the ones planned." He cautioned, face ever blank.

Kat waved her hand in the air, "Yes, yes. I will use the utmost caution while prompting Kira, Lawliet." And with that she disappeared off to change into a costume more appropriate for the task at hand.

-

A man in a suit with blue eyes and raven hair was being broad-casted on the television, Kat simply scowled at the man from her perch.

"I head up a special police task force which includes all member nations, my name is Lind L. Tailor, otherwise known as 'L.'" Kat sighed, if L was correct in his deduction, then she would come out fine, but if he was wrong, she would die a horrible fate; …at the hand of Kira. From her vantage point she had a good view of all the people bellow, staring at the large screens aghast muttering insults to L, saying he was an idiot.

"Criminals all over the world are being murdered by a serial killer; I believe this to be the most atrocious act of mass murder in history. Kira, I will hunt you down, I will find you." In her head, she could surmise what Kira was thinking. Something along the lines of either 'this is interesting' or 'impossible.' But, then again, that was from the profiling they had done on the killer.

"Kira, I have a pretty good idea of what your motivation is and I can guess what you hope to achieve, but what your doing right now– is evil!" he said, Kat jumped onto the ledge of the building she was on, wind tussling her purple wig as she looked down through yellow contacts. The camera crew from the TV station was there, filming the top of the building while another recorded the public's reaction. She spotted an black van a little ways away, prepared to do anything as soon as she called for it on her microphone.

"_Don't leap yet, K,"_ A synthesized voice, no static, whispered into her ear.

"I know, please stop worrying." K said, apathetic voice adding a slight growl All part of another façade. She was starting to loose count of all of the masks she had in her repertoire.

No one answered her back.

And then, forty seconds later, Lind L. Tailor collapsed. _Heart attack,_ K thought wide eyed. This was no normal killer; this one was just out of the norm!

The screens went white and a moment later a large black L filled the blank space in the center of each.

"I had to test this just in case, but I never thought it would actually happen. Kira, it seems you can kill people without having to be there in person." the synthetic voice said.

"Listen to me, Kira, if you did in fact kill Lind L. Tailor, the man you just saw die on television, I should tell you he was an inmate whose execution was scheduled for today. That wasn't me." K tensed her muscles, latching her fingers onto the edge of the building, leaning her body back in a swimming pose.

"But L is real, I do exist. Now, try to kill me!" he continued, that was a bold move, but she knew he was safe as long as Kira could not see him.

"What are you waiting for?" he taunted; he knew he was safe too, though he could not be sure until this was over.

"Come on! Go ahead and kill me!" Her enhanced senses honed in on the transmitter at her human ear, echoing what was being said on the screens.

"What is this?" someone from the crowd asked.

"It's Kira vs. L!"

"You mean Kira really exists?"

"Who's "L"? I've heard of Kira, but..."

"It's murder, live on TV!"

"Creepy..."

"Do it Kira!" people began to speak up.

"I'm still here, can't do it, Kira?" L continued to taunt, "Evidently you aren't able to kill me." the synthetic voice said calmly.

She smirked, "My turn L, introduce me to this 'Kira,'" She commanded, a smirk on her features as she saw both cameras turn to her, her features appearing on the screens. Brash and spontaneous, but bound to prove something more, for certain.

"How about Agent K? Can you kill her?" The synthetic voice started it's taunt again.

Everyone seemed to turn and twist to the building she was on as she smirked slightly. "Yes, can you kill me, Kira? Can an evil criminal like you kill a government assassin?" White lie, but she had worked for the government at times, sometimes having to carry out hits like a common hit man.

"What?! That woman is crazy!"

"Kill her!"

"Ah! Assassin! She'll kill us all!"

"Hide the women and children!"

"If she's working with L she won't kill us," The humans spoke again.

"Well? I am waiting?" She said, launching herself off the building and down to the streets bellow.

"_Making them think you are a crazy maniac again? You are running out of personas K." _L admonished slightly.

"Stop yammering and just pay attention," She muttered back, too low for the cameras to catch.

She landed on the ground, bouncing on her hands and feet a bit to make sure nothing was out of place. She winced just a bit, _Great, cut myself on the gravel and my ankles are sore, I am getting too old for these situations._ She thought sarcastically.

"Hey L, I really do not think this coward is going to kill me, not even attempt with a gun, might as well tell him what we learned today." She said clearly among the silence of the crowds as they tried to come attack her for insulting their "God."

Without further consent, she jumped into the black van, sighing as she buckled her seat belt under the cover of the tinted windows.

"_Jolly good job, Kat." _Mr. Wammy spoke in English as he focused on getting the van back to the hotel. Her lips twitched up. She would never admit it but she enjoyed when she was praised by the kind old man, being one of the only humans she ever got along with. "_Thank you, Mr. Wammy, I suppose L is going to chastise me for just copying his idea and just applying it differently," _She sighed, leaning her head back on the chair. "_I am getting to old to be jumping off of buildings as often as I do."_

Mr. Wammy chuckled at that as he saw Kat rub her ankles with the tips of her fingers, being careful not to rub blood onto the cuts.

-

Kat tended to her cut blithely, humming a small tune under her uncharacteristically. Even with her injuries, she tried to steer away from the morbid thoughts thrown her way involuntarily. Trying to stay positive to the best of her ability. And humming a theme song from a fighting anime called _Naruto_ was the closest thing she could do to calming herself down.

She copied a few of the moves from the anime and a few others, taking mental noted of the surprisingly good strategies that were created and the physically impossible moves most humans could not accomplish.

But then, the anger came coursing back into her like an unstoppable current. _"_Kill her," they said, "hide the children" they said, and the crowd was speckled with only a few people that could determine she was no immediate threat to them, only to Kira. After bandaging her hand up, she started to punch the air, no wanting to den the walls and have to pay for damages should she underestimate her strength. She muttered curses, fueling her senses with it, clouding her eyes slightly. IN a sense, this was her form of practice; like putting a blindfold on someone. She would rely on her other senses, impairing one, and as far as she knew, only her kind could center emotions. But she kept this information away form her two human companions, not wanting them to think she was any more of an abomination.

But then she remembered that one time, when some idiots had adopted her from Wammy's, it was when she was ten until she turned eleven. A full year of…

_1992-1993 Sometime in between, somewhere near Moscow, Russia_

_She sat in a corner, arms around her knees. They had found her. They brought her back. _

_The cuffs on her wrists rubbed against her raw skin as she wiped the stick liquid off of her face. _

_How in the world did they manage to find her again? And they treat her worse now. She rested her lean face on her painfully thin arms, wincing when she touched a bruise. _

_But how did they manage to find her? She was safe in the orphanage, living peacefully with Lawliet and Mr. Wammy. These people whom had all the false paperwork to even full government officials had some sort of personal vendetta with her and were somehow linked to the scientists, _that_ she knew. _

_They were harsh with her, tanking on her tail, threatening her with knives when she dared to protest but never relenting on her. She was only given water, and that was by the other child they had with them, one who was all the way human but was used as a slave among the adults. He was her kindred spirit even if he was younger than her by a few years. It seemed he too was Chinese and would occasionally bring her a morsel or just come to speak with her. She was content with the company but absolutely refused to let him touch her, reclusive as always. _

_Just thinking about living through the next day was depressing for her, she would rather they just kill her off because the chances of someone saving her from hell this time were once again in the negative columns. _

_They had all of killed her emotionally, bringing any other captive down with them, it seemed that there _were_others out there of her kind, but they just brought them done to her little torture chamber and murdered them right before her eyes. Sliding the knife painfully slow across the throat until it reached the jugular, using different snake venoms and leave them screaming by her, letting her witness the poison take effect until the person was blotchy with rigor mortis (coagulated blood that turns the skin into bruise like colors). _

_Many times she begged for death but they just half gave her wish, torturing her until she thought she was dying however, it was only to the brink of death. She pleaded, begged, demanded and many things but it always came with the same result until she spoke no more, a similar effect to when she was in the labs. She gave in, not showing any outward emotion when they would beat her until they left. _

_She was morose one day, searching the room with her eyes (she was in a state where she could feel her heart take it's last beats but wanted insurance that she would, in fact, die) for a sharp implement to kill herself with when the light of day shined down the steps to her torture chamber. _

_The seconds following were blurred but she could feel herself against a shaking figure as she felt blood dribble down her chin from her pale lips. She could only faintly decipher the words "Don't die, Kat," But that was all she needed to hear to try and take more shuddering breaths. It may have sounded clichéd but she could recognize the voice anywhere, the one of two people she would always listen to. _

Present Day

She halted her attack on the air as she felt a particularly harsh sting erupt from her ribs. After saying a few choice words and lifting her shirt up a bit, she gasped in agony. The bindings on her lower ribs were tainted crimson. She scrambled back into the bathroom, searching frantically for the first aid kit Mr. Wammy had just in case. How did she manage to open it? She thought it was nearly gone!

Apparently she was wrong as she delicately removed the bandages and cleaned the gruesome gash that was oozing the crimson liquid of life: though her blood seemed a tad bit darker then a normal humans. This would set her back a few days. And the ICPO thought she never acquired wounds? Why did they think she picked black clothing; for her health or stealth? No, it was to put up the illusion that she did not have wounds or abrasions.

She had not notice she had left the door open, and therefore also did not notice the raven haired man that stood at the frame, eye wide at the site of blood glistening over porcelain skin. His hands trembled slightly, _no! She can't die of something like that, it seems too shallow! _

_**Maddy: I have so many reviews I could start dancing! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and apologize if L seemed out of character in this one, I tried my best especially with the wound at the end, as for the injury itself, that will be self explanatory in further chapters (hopefully)! Please continue to review! It is making me more eager to write more and see reader's response to it!**_


	8. Chapter 8

Kat was staring at Lawliet inquisitively, a somewhat serene look on her face

Kat was staring at Lawliet inquisitively, a somewhat serene look on her face. "They do not trust us? She asked rhetorically, her view of him upside down as she lied lazily on her back.

"Yes, they are coming to see us in a little bit…" He mumbled more to himself, popping a sugar cube into his mouth.

Kat ran over the possibilities of what would have happened should she and L have refused to let anyone see them without a façade or anything and what the outcome of risking themselves as such would be. She froze one second as her eyes zeroed in on a small speck of dirt on the white walls. Her ear twitched a tad.

"…Should I conceal my abnormalities and are we going by Ryuuzaki and Kokoro?" She inquired softly, eyes flickering back to him. (_A/N: _Kokoro_ is a feminine name in Japanese meaning "Heart or Spirit" which is very ironic and controversial towards Kat since she is cold to most and quick to judge someone with her instinct rather than her 'heart' but yet again she has spirit in the sense that she loves a good fight or something, can be the sun shine person trying to cheer you up yet again she might just tell you to buzz off, go jump off a cliff, take a nap or say 'I can do whatever the (expletive of choice in language of choice) I want!' with the independent cat attitude. Written: _心 .Ryuuzaki is a common name in Japan written:竜崎),

"No and yes. We want them to trust us completely, regardless." He spoke nonchalantly.

"Ah, so this includes showing a lot of imprudent and overzealous humans that their ally, whom they do not trust, may I add, has quite literally half a mind to start chasing pigeons and drinking milk out of a saucer?" She said dryly, hands swatting the air, watching as dust motes swirled around them. Sadly, this was her attempt at emulating how humans were, ah, how do they phrase it? Sarcastic.

A long pause from Lawliet. She could only assume that he was trying to decipher the meaning of her words.

"I was trying to be sarcastic, mind you, it was pathetic and I know it," She rambled on quietly, ears twitching a bit as she heard voices approaching. Rising from her position she stretched her arms far above her head.

Lawliet looked at her questioningly; he never really understood how she could sense people from so far away. He stood up, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He briefly swept his eyes over Kat; she was wearing her usual apparel but had a small white tank top that ended above her navel, on over her bandages.

Kat began walking to the door, flicking her tail on Lawliet's nose to get his attention before she took to all fours.

She pounced every few steps, turning her head back to make sure that Lawliet caught up then repeated the process until she let him pass her.

She watched as Lawliet, no L, walked in front of the task force and stated simply, "I am 'L.'"

Kat gazed on in amusement as the Police investigation team stood gob-smacked at the sight of her long time partner. She resisted the urge to chuckle as they aimed disbelieving glares his way. From what Kat had read in fictional books, they most likely thought that L would be some middle to old man in a business suit.

"Hello, I am K," She knew she was lying; Kat was in control now, observing them with a mischievous gleam in her eye as she crouched next to L. Now they seemed to have qualms about her being K. They assumed she would be either an effeminate man from what she had displayed at the ICPO or she was a much older woman. But then one of them seemed to gawk at her. The young one that was with Chief Yagami. Touta Matsuda was it?

Kat visibly deadpanned as they all introduced themselves, badges and all. They were working with imbeciles, that she was aware of only _now. _

"Idiot humans," With that she made a U-turn and headed straight towards the couch she was on earlier, repressing the urge to turn into a cat form and take a Kat-nap. She wanted to use that as a trump card for later in the case.

Kat fiddled around with her hair, twirling it this way and that, making a mental note of the swirling scents in the room. Having acute senses was sometimes very nice, though she did feel like a blood hound; committing them to memory should she ever need to track someone down.

They all walked in and she looked at them, once again upside down, "Ah, did he give you the whole 'value our lives' bit yet?"

Matsuda was the only one to sheepishly say 'yeah' while the rest nodded.

"And did he tell you to refer to him as 'Ryuuzaki' and to myself as 'Kokoro' for security purposes?" She interrogated further.

"No, I did not get the chance yet, but thank you for doing it for me, Kokoro." The monotone voice spoke, coming around the task force and perching himself in the same seat as before.

"You are very welcome, Ryuuzaki, and- what is it, Matsuda-san?"

The man seemed to come right up next to her, reaching to poke her ears. "Are those real!?"

Kat caught his hand before it came in contact with her, coolly reaching for the plate of moon cakes she had ask Watari to buy. "Please refrain from touching me unless given permission, Matsuda-san. As to your question…" Kat reached up and lightly tugged on her fluffy ear, the hair on her head moving to the side to reveal they were, indeed, attached to her cranium. "They are genuine, I was born with them. But, we are not here to discuss trivial items and my physical features; we are; however here to investigate the Kira case, are we not?" Kat released Matsuda's hand, wiping her hand on her pants.

The task force merely gaped stupidly at her. Anger ebbed at her system with every moment. When a full minute passed, she jumped up onto her feet, walking to the other side of the room, grabbing her laptop. "I am a distraction, it seems, Ryuuzaki, please inform these…_police officers_ of the current standings of Kira, I think I will find some sort of Suicide Mission," She mumbled angrily, _who knows, maybe I will actually die on this one._ She thought the last part.

She typed quickly on her laptop and smiled at Watari feebly when he came in with the belts. As soon as he finished, he came to her side and sat by her.

"What is wrong, Kokoro?"

She shrugged; another habit she picked up from living around humans. "Aesthetics seem to be more important than a person's mind, ah, I should write that down in my 'Guide to the Human Mind.' It might prove useful in the future."

Mr. Wammy seemed to nod, they were whispering lowly (Kat's voice was even more quiet than usual). Those blank glances that Lawliet sent her way did not go unnoticed.

"Perhaps they might need time to get used to it, most humans are bias and have a hard time dealing with new things, they do not like change a good deal of the time, dear." He said, falling into his endearing term.

Kat bobbed her head up and down. "Yes, they are very biased creatures, especially those with lower intelligence…" She reasoned.

Mr. Wammy smiled and stood up, "Shall I get you another plate of Milk and Moon cakes, Kokoro?"

She shook her head. "No thank you, but would you be a doll and please get Ryuuzaki and I some coffee? We might be here all night with the rate we are going at." The cheekiness radiated in her neon green eyes. Mr. Wammy just bowed and left, she knew he would bring it, he always did.

Kat returned to L's side, meowing when she noticed they were carrying on without consent from L. "_En ayant des problèmes avec les humains, Ryuuzaki?"_ (_Having problems with the humans, Ryuuzaki?)_ She asked in fluent French, leaning against the arm of the chair, adopting the human standing position momentarily.

"_Oui, Kokoro,"_ He spoke, the irate tone in his voice very clear.

Kat gave him a devious smile, looking at him through her lashes before she addressed the task force, "_Hēi! Tīng nín suíbiàn dì rén_!" They looked at her oddly as she yelled in Pinyin Chinese. _(Hey! Pay attention you flippant humans!)_ She sighed, "Thank you, now if you would please pay attention, since I doubt none of you speak Pinyin Chinese."

With that she stole one of the moon cakes from the table and walked off back to her computer, eating slowly as her thoughts lazily started flipping around the possibility of taking on a serious Suicide Mission. She sat herself down, scrolling down the lists of missions.

_Okay, Possible Missions: Suicide One- be a one woman team, infiltrate Yakuza family, retrieve suitcase with stolen gems of the first Emperor of China. Suicide two- Find and reclaim Kimimoto Satoshi, dead or alive. And the Suicide Mission that I must go through daily- Get Ryuuzaki to brush his teeth before they rot. _The last one she had been putting up with for about a decade.

She ran over the mission details, which one? The second one any agent could accomplish but the first would be somewhat a challenge without any team or backup. Kat bit her lip, she was leaning more towards the Yakuza (Japanese Mafia) family one since it could prove to be faster than researching for some person, which could take anywhere from hours to years and she did not have that kind of time on her hands. She looked at L when she saw him let the task force take in the information he had relayed to them.

"Hey, Ryuuzaki, should I take a Yakuza retrieval mission or a search, retrieve and or destroy mission?" Her voice was nonchalant, as if she was asking the time of day.

Lawliet popped a dumpling into his mouth, moving papers around on the desk. "Isn't the search and destroy one below you, and slower?"

Kat nodded, looking at the mission details for the other missions. "Yes, not to mention the probability he was killed by Kira are around 85 percent. So the retrieval mission it is, Watari and yourself are going to do camera and guiding, or are you going to put your main focus on the Kira case?"

"Kira case, tonight or tomorrow?" The task force were looking between Kat and Lawliet, taking note ho comfortable they could talk about the matter's how they seemed to be completely flippant in conversation and the fact that one of the people that was working on the case with them was going to leave them high and dry.

Everyone in the task force save for the conversing prodigies turned to glare at Matsuda. Said man extended his arm, paling considerably. "Uh, Kokoro-san, I apologize for being so rude before, you don't need to leave the case…" He stuttered.

Both Lawliet and Kat turned to look at the man curiously. It was a tense silence on the older men's part but a testing one to the orphans.

Kat's eyebrow rose, "Am I to believe that you are insinuating that I take my leave if only because you were surprised of my looks, Matsuda-san?"

The man shook his head apprehensively, "N-n-no, Koko-"

"Than you assumed she was leaving the case because we were discussing a mission, Matsuda-san?" Lawliet joined her interrogating, gaining up on the man closest to their age.

"N-n-no, L-s-- I mean Ryuuzaki-san," Kat could see the man falling into their trap.

"Well then, please do not attempt to assume, Matsuda-san, I believe that is the job of my partner and I," Kat took a bit out of another moon cake. "Plus, it is completely out of the question for me to leave Ryuuzaki on his own for this case; I doubt he will win without my…services."

"Kokoro, this is not a game, this is a life or death situation," Chief Yagami reprimanded her.

"Of course Yagami-san," She waved her hand in the air, not meaning her words.

"What she means is that," Lawliet plopped another dumpling into his mouth, using only his index and thumb. "Winning, solving; we are all aiming for the same thing essentially."

Kat through in a forced smile, "Yes, and to relieve Matsuda-san from his…ah, guilt, my missions are just...me trying to exert extra energy. The fact that they are 'suicide missions' really just categorizes them as…the level of expertise that…conquest might take." She floundered about, trying not to place anything that might lead them to thinking she was not all the way human and phrasing her words so as not to throw them into a debate about her sanity.

Matsuda nodded, half embarrassed and half confused, did they need to put so much big words in there?

Kat got up, dusting her pants off, "Well, I should go get ready for my mission, it was…interesting meeting you all. _Sayonara._" She left with a nod of her head.

-

Late into the night, Kat came back to the hotel, making sure no one saw her and she left no trace of where she came in through. Her breathing was labored, thoughts hazed and shoulder in blazing agony; why did she not check the weather before she left? She would have known that it was going to rain!

A string of silent curses escaped her mouth as she entered the hotel room, freezing when she saw the task force there. "_Damn._" She swore in Russian.

They all looked doe eyes at her, only Lawliet walking over to her in his "fast" pace (which was more of a slight improvement from his normal hunched way of walking.).

"_Kokoro, are you alright?"_ He asked in English, a flash of a younger Lawliet came to her eyes, when they were so naïve.

She turned nodded, taking her hand away from her shoulder; she did not trust her voice, she might scream in pain.

But that was her downfall as Lawliet's eyes immediately went to her hand, painted in a ghastly scarlet. His eyes widened more than usual as he pulled her to the couch. Kat winced, this was another reason she did not let Lawliet know when she was hurt; for a detective, he reacted horribly to fresh blood, injuries and things, she remembered how he only started to hold things as if they would infect him or hurt him after she had cut herself with one of her knives.

"_I am fine Ryuuzaki, this is nothing that I cannot handle,"_ All was said through gritted teeth.

"_You aren't fine, Kokoro, what happened?"_ He jumped onto the couch he had pushed her into, chewing on his thumb, avoiding looking at her shoulder.

"The idiots had swords…but really, who other than the Japanese Mafia uses swords?" She ranted silently, "Dodge bullets and defy death but swordsmanship; no, that is beyond my _current_ knowledge. And it was bloody raining, too." All the while she said this, Lawliet was calling Watari, to help her bandage her injuries.

When her little bout of frustration ended, she found herself falling onto the couch, the fatigue getting to her. It was not long before unconsciousness took over.

Lawliet just looked blankly at her form, ignoring the murmurs from the task force. "She will be alright, Watari?" He asked, numbly.

Watari simply smiled his usual kind grin, "Of course, Ryuuzaki, she always picks herself up, you know it is just the rain." With that he hefted the small woman into his arms, intending to put her in the room she and Lawliet shared.

"Just the rain," The raven haired man repeated, following Watari with his eyes as he left.

After a minute of complete silence, Lawliet returned to the task force, brushing off the questions about why the rain was so detrimental to Kat, saying it was not his secret to tell.

As the Kira case slowly became the focus of topic again, the cat girl in the bedroom dreamed of trips to Brazil involving sweets and candy, smiles and games and her (as he put it) best friend. By far the only normal dream she had had in a long time since becoming Agent K.

**Maddy: I apologize if this was bit out of character, a bit late and for the fact that school is starting and that I am updating in the middle of preparing for a hurricane-tropical storm. I will try my darnedest to update more frequently. **


	9. Chapter 9

Kat was lying in bed, grumbling about the after affects of rain. She ran her clawed hand through her hair, glancing at the pile of books and files that were right next to her.

A grin twitched at her lips; of course Lawliet would bring her books and the progression of the case. Habit: an action or pattern of behavior that is repeated so often that it becomes typical of somebody, although he or she may be unaware of it. She had noticed this of many of the humans and those around her. Her own little habits, like picking up on ill intent and being all stubborn about it, twirling her hair...Or Lawliet's habit of bringing her books when she was bed ridden from rain.

She stretched her stiff arm for a second before pulling the pile closer to her, reading over the book titles before gluing her eyes to the case notes. Everything that was written in hardly legible English they had concluded themselves, though the part about Kira being a socialite with a normal life, living with no strife was her in-put.

Closing her eyes, she huffed. Essentially, Kira was a student in either high school or college, with a god complex, access to police records, needed a name and face to kill, could control time of death and they had uncovered no new surprising information. But then again, once you discover humans can kill with something as natural as cardiac arrest, nothing surprises you.

She settled back, picking up a marker that was next to the files. She could probably categorize her thoughts from what was accumulated.

キラは、スマート、天才のレベルかを私たちのレベルもアップします。彼には、比較的普通の生活警察庁のファイルにアクセスするので、彼は、ご家族のメンバーは、ポリシーは語った吉良には、神の複雑かつ幼稚な道徳そこは彼をアウトされるのいずれかの高校や大学の学生です。キラを失う嫌いです。私はあなたのプロファイルをのぞくとそれらをゼロにしてフィットします。

-心加藤

_(Kira is smart, prodigy level or even up to our level. He has a relatively fair life with access to police agency files, so he is a family member of a police officer. Kira has a god complex and childish morals which makes him out to be either high school or college student. Kira hates to lose. Look into the profile I gave you and zero in on those that fit it._

_-Kokoro Kat)_

Kat listed the families that fit under the category, circling the ones that would most likely be connected, and sketching out a crudely drawn college called "To-oh." In her head, Kira was a person who once wanted to study law and such, become a police officer, so this was the grounds she would assume their serial killer treads on or would tread on.

She settled down, curling herself up with a book called _Chu Ju's House._ It was naturally a made by a Chinese person, by she had the one that was raw, in Mandarin.

She recited the words softly, keeping her voice low. Chances were she was only out for about an hour or two, and she had left for her mission early in the day. She spared a glance to the window, eyes flickering from every little snowflake that fell, white against the darkening sky. Kat was torn between slight irritation and happiness. The snow had begun to slow her down slightly when she turned fourteen (thirteen by everyone else's standards), but she could not help but feel that it was fun to be in, it was the first time that Lawliet did anything civil for her, and when she had let her guard down.

The murmuring voices in the other rooms, she could hear them better than any normal person could probably, able to sort out the pitch differences and zero in on Lawliet's emotions. There was a sent missing, the one that belonged to Aizawa; he must have gone down to the NPA to check out the Kira sighting claims and clues.

She turned her neon green eyes back to the book, memorizing it lamely.

After a few minutes of this, she could almost feel her body screaming at her to get up and walk around or something more productive.

She must have dozed off because the files that were there previously were gone.

Placing the book gently on the bed, she got out of the comforter, stretching her self out.

"_Itai_," She muttered, looking down at her shoulder curiously, and then switching over to the spot where she had a gash. _Did Mr. Wammy dress me? _She wondered, after noticing that she was in lavender silk pajamas, a color that contrasted with her eyes. Carefully stepping over to the dresser, she tiled her head at the reflection, pondering why her hair was in two loose braids, bangs, as always, framing her face.

"I look like those female humans from the orphanage…" She muttered, biting her lip while turning around to look at herself from different angles. (_A/N: Like how some animals are fascinated by reflections and just look at themselves wondering who the other is in the mirror) _Mirrors were captivating to her, but that might have been her feline instincts taking control, attracted to anything reflective or shiny and letting her curiosity get the best of her.

She glanced at the mirror one last time before walking out of the room like a normal human, hands wrapped around her midriff protectively.

Kat made sure to be completely silent as she sneaked in, taking her seat on a couch.

The hum of everyone was enough to almost lull her back to sleep. She curled into a ball, playing with a loose string on the couch, wrapping it around her claw and cutting it to a small size.

Lawliet had caught sight of her when she gave a soft sigh of boredom, but quickly turned back to the task force.

"Our Underworld sources tell us that Kira is not among them and that they fear coming up to execute any plans," He paused, looking at Matsuda as he put his hand in the air like a student.

"You work with criminals?" His eyes were wide, with either fear or admiration, nobody would know.

Lawliet took a sip of his tea. "Depends on what you are directing the question at, Matsuda-san."

The man seemed to gulp a bit, looking at the table. "You said 'our underworld' sources.'"

Kat looked up at Matsuda; the nervous air around him was causing her to loose her nerve. _Being part cat is annoying sometimes. _

"Yes, that would be referring to Kokoro, she _is_and 'agent' after all." He matter-of-factly, as if it was obvious that she did the dirty work.

Matsuda seemed taken aback, in his minds eye, it was difficult for him to picture the woman that came in a few hours ago, pale and injured doing anything like hanging around criminals for the sake of information.

Kat kept quiet, hanging onto every word that came from Lawliet's mouth. The FBI agents had been killed, the work of Kira.

Lawliet picked up the file he had taken to Kat's room and placed it in front of the task force.

"Now, from what Kat has gathered of Kira, he is in a family or close to a family that is involved with the police. She assumes that they will eventually go to To-oh or are at the university, completely plausible. She also has written that Kira is most likely top of the class, maybe even a prodigy. Listed here," He pointed to the families that had offspring that fit under the categories, speaking through a half eaten cookie. "Are the possible suspects to be investigated."

The raven haired man leaned back, casting his eyes around the men, "Now, if we apply the deaths of the FBI agents then we can eliminate about 75 percent of the list, than we look into the last four names, those that were being tailed by Agent Penber and Hail. And from what the security tapes show, Kira was evidently being tailed by Raye Penber, which leaves us with 25 percent of the list. Director Kitamura and Chief Yagami's families."

Everyone looked at Lawliet as if he was out of his mind, save Kat since she had written the list.

"So we need Watari to install security cameras and bugs all over those houses," She concluded, sighing at the end.

"But that's illegal in Japan!"

Kat looked up sharply, seeing how Chief Yagami was turning an odd shade of purple and the rest just looked outraged in general.

"I am aware that it is illegal, but it is beneficial to our cause, whether the problem of privacy versus catching a murdering fiend is all that important…" She trailed off, closing her eyes. She was not going to explain her ideas; it was idiotic of her to have spoken at all.

Yagami was on the verge of spontaneously combusting, but he looked L in the eyes and spoke as calmly as possible.

"I find it extremely galling, to say the least, to have my own family placed under suspicion." he said, "so very well, go ahead. You have my permission!" he looked like he was alright, but Kat could tell he was wishing for a gun.

"But if you do this... I insist you go all the way. I want bugs and cameras in the bathrooms, hallways, every inch of the house so that nothing is missed!!" he instructed.

"Thank you, that's exactly what I plan to do." L said.

"S-sir! are you serious?!"

"Do you really understand what that means?!"

"Think about your wife! And your daughter!" the task force protested.

"I'm fully aware of what this means!" Yagami's sudden anger startled Kat, "including the fact that it's meaningless if it isn't done thoroughly! Now just shut up!!" he shouted.

"Sorry, sir..." Matsuda said timidly.

"It's okay... I'm sorry, too..." Yagami answered.

"As a courtesy to Yagami-san... surveillance of the Yagami home will be carried out by him, Kokoro and myself only While the rest of you take turns doing the following- two people keep watch over the Kitamura house, one person mans the NPA office..."

"And one of you look through the Yamanote line security videos to see if anyone from the Kitamura or Yagami families is pictured." Kat finished for him.

"The bugs and cameras will be in place for seven days." L continues, "this period may be shortened or extended depending on the circumstances."

"In either case I will tell you about it, you have my word I will not extend it secretly. So that's alright then?" he asked.

"Watari, how long will it take you and Kokoro to get the bugs, cameras and monitors ready?" L asked, and Kat glanced at him in confusion, she had not expected to be counted as a computer camera person.

"Starting tomorrow... they can be installed any time once we know when nobody will be home." he answered, Kat was– at this point– hoping she would not be expected to assemble a camera or bug, because she wasn't the best with her hands...

The task force was silent.

"Good, so we'll need at least two monitoring rooms set up in another hotel. Once the bugs and cameras are in place, we'll move over to that hotel." L concluded.

Once the task force had left for the night, Kat learned that her part in the bug/ camera scandal was to install them in the houses, not assemble them along side Watari. This fact was a source of great relief for her as she had been terrified of breaking several thousand dollars worth of technology.

Kat herself was used to spying on others, having done it ample times. Though her version was actually more like up front and personal, she even occasionally tried to fool the criminals with kindness.

-

"I've studied the tapes we got from the bugs and cameras over the past five days... numerous times." L began to say, as the task force braced themselves for the suspect list.

"And my conclusion is..." everyone looked at him, focusing hard on every syllable he uttered, so as not to miss any important information.

"That of the people in the Kitamura and Yagami families, suspicious activity was observed in..." the task force members held there breath as the suspense built up.

"Nobody." L finished flatly. The task force exhaled all at once. "We will remove the bugs and cameras." he said.

"_Hmmph_... so no suspect, after all..."Matsuda said. Kat's tail twitched, this one was annoying.

"I thought we were on track with Raye Penber's targets..." Ukita stated.

"Well none of them were on the Yamanote line videos..." Aizawa pointed out.

"Don't give up!! All right, so we're back at square one. We'll just have to put our minds to starting over." Yagami said, he looked relieved to learn his family had been cleared.

"Please don't misunderstand me. I only said 'no suspicious activity was observed.'" L cut in, while calmly eating a chocolate, Kat reached for the box on the table, she had been expecting something like this to happen. It was typical for L to find a lead and chase it across the world if he was ascertained of it.

"Eh?!" Yagami exclaimed, he seemed suddenly less calm.

"Even if one of them is Kira, they simply aren't making any mistakes." L explained, "They're putting criminals to death as always, without showing use how."

"... So you're saying one of them might be Kira, after all?" Yagami asked; he was worried about his family.

"...as I said..." L answered, stirring his coffee, Kat ate one of the candies on the table as she listened, "there's a five percent probability." he said.

Kat used her logic for this one: he usually lied by ninety percent so it was a 95 percent probability.

"But if we can't catch them on camera, then we'll have to call each of them in for questioning..." Matsuda thought out loud.

"If one of them really is Kira, they'll murder whoever's questioning them." Aizawa pointed out.

"So we do it the way L– I mean Ryuuzaki– did it, without showing our faces." Matsuda suggested.

L– Ryuuzaki– stirred his coffee in thought.

"No, even if we do it like that, it's too dangerous to let them know we suspect them of being Kira." Aizawa told him.

"That's true. First we need to prepare some hard evidence. We only question them when we're ready." Yagami agreed.

L sat in silent though for several minutes, Kat watched him as he stared into his coffee cup; she wondered what he could be thinking...

Finally after almost five minutes of thoughtful silence, L spoke.

"Kokoro, when can You and Watari remove the cameras and bus?" he asked, Kokoro gave him a blank stare.

"As soon as both houses are empty, we should be able to get them out." she answered.

"Then please do so." L requested, and Kat nodded.

Later that day Kat and Watari removed the cameras and bugs from both houses.

When Kat returned, she found L at a coffee table, writing in his precarious way. She walked over to him, on all fours, peeking at the paperwork.

"Entrance forms, To-oh university? So our prime suspect is indeed Yagami Light?" Kat asked, taking the set of forms and pen that Lawliet had handed her.

"Yes, three percent," He spoke enigmatically.

Kat meowed, holding the pen normally, a bit irate at the fact that she had to use her thumb to write. She left the part that called for her name blank, peeking at Lawliet's form, raising an eyebrow when she saw it said 'Hideki Ryuga.' Sighing, she pushed her forms in front of him, point with a claw to the name blank.

He just glanced at it before taking out a set of legal forms and papers in front of them. "Your name will be Iida Kaori."

Kat looked at Lawliet questioningly, she recalled vaguely that Iida Kaori was a former member of the group Morning Musume, Watari had given her a CD of the group for one of her birthdays.

"We have names of celebrities because if Kira were to try and kill us he would think of them and essentially alert us that we are within Kira's vicinity." He explained, writing off more information on the paper.

"It is very practical," She nodded absent mindedly, signing the bottom of the page while humming "Do it! Now."


	10. Chapter 10

Kat was restless as she wrote on the test papers rigidly, never having liked staying still for long periods of time. She was forced to conceal herself again, but Watari had chosen her ensemble of skinny jeans (which were unbelievably annoying to her little furry problem) some annoying suede boots and a black t-shirt. Needless to say, she would not know the names of the articles of clothing if Watari had not informed her but even then she was doubtful that he had tried to do it himself (he most likely just copied it off of the computer, or a magazine off the street).

She bit her index finger in irritation, controlling the expletives from tumbling down her tongue and out into the silent classroom. The teacher had already tried to get her to sit correctly, she had complied, if only half way. One of her legs was dangling over the chair, swinging slightly while the other was up to her chest.

Everything on the test was easy, to an extent, and full of common sense topics. Kat was about ready to start twirling her hair furiously as she finished the last stroke on the written portion.

She slammed her pencil on the desk halfheartedly, observing the humans with a keen eye. Lawliet had already finished the test, a few minutes before her and the boy named Light Yagami, the rest were either freaking out over some question or simply trying to expunge them selves of hair. As it was, Kat was ready to start spouting curse words at the next person to tell her to sit correctly or that they were extending the exam time.

She gave the clock glances every few minutes, her usually curious eyes filled with exasperation.

The time rolled on sluggishly, and Kat's limbs felt numb, stiff and anything of the above.

Lawliet had spared to his right, across the room, where he could almost feel how vexed she was, though he could not understand why all too well. Her need to jump around, do something active and _dodge bullets_ was an enigma to him. Certain parts of their pasts were concealed to even each other, most likely too painful to even mention or ponder, but the "why's," "how's," "who's" and "when's" were building up. Lawliet, chewed on his thumb, eyes glancing at the clock just as the proctor stood up, announcing that the test was over.

He got out of his seat as Kat all but jump out of her own, stretching while mumbling some nonsensical gibberish with the words "stupid clock" and "stiff muscles" mixed in.

Kat plodded up beside Lawliet, ear twitching slightly. "Cannot even walk as I usually do, so preposterous," She muttered bothered, nose wrinkling up. Everything was so dull today, no clouds to distract her, no book on her (she refused to say "person") and not even a piece of candy or snack to drown her attitude away with food.

As soon as the Rolls Royce came into view, Kat had to steel herself into not breaking into a sprint on all fours.

Lawliet chuckled slightly as he saw her get more antsy and jittery, upping her pace a bit. Contrary to her, he slowed down, wanting to test how she would react.

He only saw a white and black blur as she jumped into the car, hearing a loud exclamation of "Finally!" in Cantonese. Kat narrowed her eyes at Lawliet, bouncing in her seat until she eventually blurted, "Get a move on, Ryuga!" It would seem very out of character for her to take this demeanor with Lawliet but this was how she was with most all humans, but in his case, it was when he egged her on a bit too much for her taste. At least, that is what he evaluated from his test.

"Yes, Yes, Kaori," He said apathetically, entering the car slowly.

Kat sighed when they were finally on the road, easing into a more comfortable position and pulling out her tail and ears.

-

For the orientation, she had overlooked what Mr. Wammy had picked for her, not wanting to feel tight and odd. After consent to some of the younger girls from the Orphanage (Via Web-cam), they had settled on a simple black and white uniform-like combo with black tights and the black boots she used for missions (without socks to her relief) and a black car coat over it. The reason for her actually caring about her attire for once being that she did not want to attract more attention to herself than she usually did with her neon green orbs, silver and ebony tresses. But her bell choker stayed on around her neck, just like how Lawliet never took off his "L" bracelet.

She sat quietly next to Lawliet, looking blankly into space. Kat had purposely sat next to the Kira suspect, even if he gave her bad vibes, because she _knew_ how to handle dangerous situations better than her partner.

"And now our freshmen representatives; Yagami Light, Hideki Ryuga and Iida Kaori," The human announced, gesturing towards them, K (no, because Kat knew when to back off and be cautious) turned her apathetic eyes toward the podium, walking slowly behind both males.

Whispers and murmurs broke out across the auditorium; humans questioning the attire both L and she had on and their identities. Tuning them out, she snapped her sharp eyes towards Yagami Light as he began reciting the speech that was made for them all.

_This human is by far too "perfect." Everything has it's flaws, living or not, and this one just seems to be able to give off the…façade of perfection? But that seems so absurd…than again, his flaw might be an estranged moral of justice. _She thought speculatively, analyzing every twitch and movement he made.

Lawliet paid little to no attention to what was going on around him, immediately feeling the tense stance that Kat had adopted. _She feels she needs her guard up further around him? That would prove my theory about why she sat in between him and myself. _

While thinking, both of them forgot to bow when it came to it and made there way to the seats halfheartedly. Before they made it to the seats however, Kat turned to Light, giving a somewhat small wicked grin. "Yagami Light, I have something to tell you," She whispered, bowing her head slightly so that no one would be able to read her lips.

"Oh yeah? What is it, Kaori?" His lack of attention was astonishing.

"I am Agent K, and Ryuga is L," She whispered, sitting right in between them. He froze for a millisecond before calming down and turning to face us both.

The rest of the assembly was spent in silence. K bit her lip out of habit until everything was over and she found herself walking next to Lawliet towards the car. Catching a familiar scent, she brushed her hair behind her ear, mumbling, "Light, coming our way, call him over," She said subtly.

This time, she had taken charge because they had spoken of how they were going to address hands-on situations, automatically, she insisted on handing out instructions if ever the circumstance.

Lawliet turned around, calling, "Yagami-kun…"

Light turned towards them, raising an eyebrow as he saw them both together. "It was nice meeting you." He continued. "Yes, it was a pleasure meeting you," She said, monotonously, aiming her blank eyes at him.

"Yes. Nice meeting you both too…" K could tell he did not mean it all that much, especially after what she had told him.

"We'll see you around campus, then." He said before opening the door to let K in.

"Oh yeah, of course…bye." Light said as Lawliet closed the door. K gave a sigh of relief, her eyes lighting up with there usual curiosity.

"That was tedious…" She mumbled, shaking her head fast, mussing her coal locks up.

Lawliet put his thumb to his lips, eyes taking in the differences in Kat's demeanor.

"Mr. Wammy, I have a mission tonight? Correct?" She asked, an odd accent sinking into her words; a mixture of her Chinese dialect and the British way of tongue.

"Yes, the ICPO has arranged for you to apprehend a notorious Yankee leader," He spoke eloquently, turning onto another street.

Lawliet's ears perked up, this was the first he had heard of such a mission. "What mission?"

Kat turned to him, tilting her head to the side. "Ah, that is right; you were with the Task Force while Watari went to the ICPO building. They were ranting about some female gangster that had taken it overboard and killed a few high standing business humans. They are offering a high bounty for the capture of one Yuukimoto Roze." She concluded, craning her neck back to look at the top of the roof, twirling a lock of hair.

After a long silence, she glanced at him through the corner of her eyes, "I apologize for not informing you but it was necessary. We have noticed that you tend to…dote on me as if I was not as expendable as the other humans you use."

Lawliet narrowed his eyes at her, moving his thumb so he could speak. "I do not 'dote' on people, and people are _not _expendable."

Mr. Wammy sighed inaudibly from the front, having a bad feeling about this.

"You heard me wrong," She said bitingly, defensive feline instincts picking up. "I said how you 'dote' on me and I said the other humans _you_ _**use.**_**"**

The coarse silence from Lawliet was enough to tell her that she had made a point.

Even Kat was not dense enough to notice how he seemed to put her safety first, she had no clue _why_ but she knew he did. Ever since they were young, after the whole "cookie incident" as she called it, he had tried to look out for her. In Brazil when she entered the Capoeira ring, in Moscow when she was wishing for death, in Miami with the shadowy man; all of these instances, he refused to either let her go or let her fight alone. It was annoying in a sense when it happened, and gave her a massive headache afterwards because she could not tell what the intentions under the actions were.

"So you would prefer me to not worry about my best friend?" He asked quietly, no anger present in his eyes. She rolled her head forward, pulling her leg up to her chest.

"You use these words that confuse me, what is a 'friend'? Why do my preferences matter if I am your 'friend'? And, what is the significance of being the 'best friend'? And what good is it being so advanced if I cannot answer these insufferable questions?" She spoke, squeezing her knee. Her voice was strained and tired, as if she had asked herself these questions a million times.

Lawliet seemed a bit surprised. He knew she hated humans, he knew she did not trust them, he knew he had a _guide_ on humans yet he had never considered if she knew those terms that the best dictionary would be unable to describe accurately.

He was unable to answer as they arrived at the hotel. Kat walked in stony silence, he could just imagine her tail and ears, were they not hidden, drooping and limp.

The rest of the night was just as quiet, when the task force came, instead of seeing the usual of Kat and Lawliet searching on the same computer, chatting or something, they saw both as far away from each other as possible, one typing sullenly, the other tying a mask to her face.

"Ah, is there something wrong?" Matsuda asked the question on everybody's mind, glancing from one prodigy to the other.

Kat gave him a brief look before attaching a transmitter to her ear, "Watari, is the audio and visual connected to base O and base P?"

Three letters appeared on some monitors on Kat's side of the room, the letters W, O and P popping up. "Mine is working," He confirmed.

"As is ours," Scrambled voices spoke from the monitor labeled O and P.

"Good; O, P, make note of what I do and please feel free to make comments of anything." She finished, making a beeline to leave the hotel room, draping a long trench coat over her shoulders.

-

K made furtive steps as she stood under the flickering lights of the ratty apartment building that was home to the Ice Outcasts. She slid her hand in a pocket, unsheathing a fancy knife.

"Why are you arming yourself, sempai?" O asked, voice muffled by what she would guess was fabric. O had a tendency of covering there mouth.

"She obviously wants to be prepared you idiot," P insulted.

"Quiet, no temperamental fight while in action, if you do not know this then you will never be an effective Agent." She whispered, wincing when she heard loud footsteps.

"Whose there!?" A raucous voice, deep, obviously male. "Come out! I have a gun!"

K swung out of her hiding spot, spinning around to kick the gun straight out of the man's hands. The man, she noticed, was on the list of "Dead or Alive" that the ICPO had given her. Predictably, he pulled another gun out, but this time, K swiped his feet out from under him. As the man came tumbling down towards her, she slashed up, eyes following the trickle of blood that accompanied her knife as it disabled the man.

Turning away from the bloody macabre scene, she preceded her prowl up the cold and dank corridors, running up to the stairs, intent on avoiding as much humans as possible.

Her eyes narrowed into a glare as she found the second floor crawling with delinquents. Simultaneously, they all pulled there repertoire of weapons.

From the hotel, most of the task force had abandoned the case momentarily paying more attention to the real life action that was playing before their eyes as blood splayed the halls left and right, all of them alive but wounded to the point of invalidity.

O and P turned squeamish at all of the blood, which was the purpose of this task, to desensitize them to the spilling of the liquid of life.

Kat came out of the brawl with no visible injuries; at least, they were not visible to the untrained eye. Lawliet glanced at the screens as the small twitch in her hand alerted him to the fact that she had somehow came out scathed, like the many other times.

Breaking into a full out sprint, she took to the upper most floor, finding herself at gun point. The girl, Yuukimoto Roze, with her bleached blonde hair, hazel eyes and gaunt face sneered at her, poised to kill her.

K looked straight into the cold barrel dully, seeing the bullet at the end with her acute eyesight. Everyone, she could tell, that was watching froze.

"This, is suppose to be who they send after me? Some newbie?"

The deafening blow of a shot, screams and screeches coming from her transmitter, as she saw crimson.

**Maddy: Links for pictures of Kat and L on my profile. Ja ne. **


	11. Chapter 11

Breaking into a full out sprint, she took to the upper most floor, finding herself at gun point

_Breaking into a full out sprint, she took to the upper most floor, finding herself at gun point. The girl, Yuukimoto Roze, with her bleached blonde hair, hazel eyes and gaunt face sneered at her, poised to kill her. _

_K looked straight into the cold barrel dully, seeing the bullet at the end with her acute eyesight. Everyone, she could tell, that was watching froze. _

"_This, is suppose to be who they send after me? Some newbie?" _

_The deafening blow of a shot, screams and screeches coming from her transmitter, as she saw crimson._

K gritted her teeth, ducking down faster than the human eye could track and dodged the bullet by half, a fair sized bullet hole left in her shoulder, opposite of the one she got at the beginning of the Kira case.

Yuukimoto Roze looked around baffled, whirling around to the dark corner of the room where two iridescent green orbs were staring at her through a mask. Roze seemed frightened for a moment as she contemplated the possibilities of who this person might be. _This can't be…! _She thought distraught, frozen.

"Ah," K said monotonously, tilting her head to the side. "That hurt." The malicious innocence in her words was unsettling, like a scene from a horror movie with a vampire or something.

Roze backed up, before raising her gun and shooting tactlessly at her. K immediately took to running, sighing slightly as the bullets missed her by a while. Roze trembled visibly blanching as the person kept avoiding her usually impeccable shots.

Then empty clicking reached her ears as she tried to shoot again. Her eyes widened as the ghoul eyed person stood in front of her. "Ne, this is not as fun as I had thought I would be…. such a pity…." She mumbled. Looking into her eyes, Roze seemed to become petrified, as those soulless eyes bored into her. More shots rang, but K had disappeared from her view once again.

Roze scanned the room frantically, spotting her at the lone window sill, illuminated eerily by the moonlight. _I would not be surprised if she was a Shinigami herself…_Roze thought blandly, catching the gun that was thrown her way by one of her more loyal Yankees.

"That one hurt more," She said, completely numb to the bullet now imbedded in her stomach.

From the observations, one recluse noticed how she was not putting her all into the mission, being careless, at least more so than usual.

K turned her eyes noncommittally to the newcomer, noting her as Amemoto Sora, another yankee, but this one seemed less cowardly. Her ebony fell in cascades down her back, violet eyes narrowed into a glare towards K, her tall frame of 5 foot 8 inches surpassing K's by an inch. All females stood in stony silence, trying to decipher the weaknesses of the other.

Sora's mouth twisted into a smirk, "So this is Agent K?" Her voice, so similar to K's own alto, and different to Kat's quiet soprano voice….

K looked at her knife while she twirled it, "And if I am?"

Roze's face turned to shock. "T-this is Agent K?! But I thought she was never hurt on missions!"

Sora faltered once before speaking again. "That is what they say, but then my question to her is; how did I manage to get her if that is so?"

K stopped, rolling her head forward towards them, staring at them through her lashes. "You just caught me on an off day, is all, but…"

She flickered out of view, appearing before Roze and Sora, slashing horizontally with her knife. She was emotionless as blood spattered her clothes, watching both females fall.

"Human children should not act as if lives are at their hands," She said sardonically before pressing a button on her transmitter and jumping out of the window.

Everywhere, it was silent. O and P looked at the screens fearfully, speechless. Both children practically deciding whether or not to proceed with becoming and Agent.

-

Kat's breathing was labored, eyes watering with pain, but to her knowledge they were just "leaking" again. She clenched her teeth, looking ahead and seeing the hotel. Forcing her eyes to stay open, she ran to the hotel through a back alley, and then scaling the walls not unlike how she did at the Wammy House when she was younger. With every few feet and jump, a sharp sting pierced her stomach and shoulder.

Finally, as she reached the window she had left open, she climbed in, wincing when she had to dislodge her claws from the sill. Gasping, she fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around her stomach. Watari, who was in a corner of the room, came bustling over to her, giving the cat girl a weary look.

He shook his head disapprovingly, "All this because you got into a fight…"

Kat looked at him through bleary eyes squinting, "No…I think it is going to rain again…" She muttered, soft high pitched voice trailing off as she dun her hands in her stomach, giving a slight yelp when she took the bullet out.

"That was a once in a lifetime occurrence young lady, it does not rain twice in January."

"Really? I never knew…" Her eyes were starting to flutter close as she yanked the bullet in her shoulder out as Watari tended to the one in her stomach.

From the door, Lawliet watched; eyes on the girl who seemed to be dying before his eyes.

"Watari…What are friends? The dictionary has many meanings of it….but I still do not understand…" She muttered in an attempt to keep herself awake.

Watari looked at her with soft eyes before returning to bandaging her up. "A friend is someone who you care about, someone who stands by you no matter what and you them."

Kat gave a feeble sigh, "You are no help, and you use confusing words as well…the word 'care' has many meanings as does the phrase 'stands by you.'"

Lawliet considered entering the room and helping explain but stopped himself when he had his hand on the door knob. He doubted that he could even begin to be clear about the topic; Kat would probably lash out at him for confusing her again.

"Well then, why don't you ask Ryuuzaki? I am sure he would be willing to comply," She winced as he pulled a bit roughly on the gauze.

"That is not an option, K angered him when we were in the car, she was not suppressed well enough," Kat whispered, running a hand through her hair.

_Kat has multiple personalities? It seems probable. Ever since we were at the orphanage she would change subtly in persona, but nothing as serious as this. Furthermore, if K was the one that wanted a rise out of me, and was the one controlling the mission…than she must be the one with the intense hate for humans…at least Kat can stand being in a room with Mr. Wammy and I, talking. _He thought, pulling the door closed.

Kat glanced at the door, frowning. "He heard…"

-

Kat was lying on a bench, watching the human boys swing rackets back and forth to get a little neon yellow ball.

She was lucky to be even able to attend, what with Lawliet and Watari and the whole task force arguing that she was injured and needed rest. She had silenced them by rolling her eyes, and doing a very slow cart wheel. Afterwards, they grudgingly obliged to her demands and allowed her to go with Lawliet to To-oh.

She looked on idly as a crowd began to form, some fan girls rooting for Light and a few odd balls that were rooting for "Ryuga." Yawning slightly, she rolled herself onto her feet into her crouched position, placing her head in her chin.

"Hey look at that girl, is she that hot Iida Kaori from Morning Musume?" A few guys whispered.

Kat rolled her eyes; they would not be saying that if they knew that she was K. And she was not that physically appealing either, at least, the male cats would assure her when she spoke to them. (_A/N: Yes, she can speak to cats when in cat form)_ But then they might literally be saying that she was hot, it was hard enough being able to comprehend what the phrase meant when she was younger.

"No, she is Iida Kaori but not the one from the group, anyways, she looks weird." That was more of what humans would say if they saw her tail and ears.

"Kya! She looks like Misa-Misa!" _Who in the bloody hell is Misa-Misa?_ She wondered. She watched the boys, keeping an eye as the ball traveled fast, for normal humans, and bounced the other way. Truly though, her ears were listening more to the side commentary that the fans were making.

Every once in a while, her eyes would train on Lawliet until she could sense the boys glaring daggers at him.

Stretching and getting up, she walked to the entrance of the gated courts, sensing the end of the game. She ignored the human males and leaned against the fence, hearing the ending of the game, the winner being Yagami Light. She fisted and un-fisted her fingers then walked behind Lawliet and Light (Ironically, she noted, Light and "Low-Light," as was the correct pronunciation of Lawliet). Twirling her hair, she looked to the ground as Light left to go change so that they, apparently, could go to some Café.

It was awkward, but she could not seem to remember what a human did to…ah, make peace again? Maybe she could find some cookies and a tea set like when they were seven? Candy? Maybe strawberry shortcake? She bit her lip thoughtfully, one hand covering her stomach.

Lawliet was in a similar position of thought; though it was centering more on how he was to teach her about the issue and intentions of intentions of humans…did that even make sense? He shifted from foot to foot, looking once more up at Kat, seeing her eyes filled with confusion.

The tension was broken as Light returned, and they made their way to the café, with the two orphans making small talk with the boy rather than chatting with each other.

-

The café was an exceptional place to talk about, as it seemed. Light politely hauled a chair for Kat, and she thanked him with the same politeness. He made it painfully obvious to her that he was acting. But then again, he did not know that she had her suspicions about him.

"This is one of my favorite coffee shops." Light said. "If you sit here in the back, nobody can hear what you're talking about."

"You've picked the perfect place for this." Lawliet told him.

"Yeah. For one thing, back here nobody's going to be staring at you two for sitting like that. _Ha ha._"

"True... I just can't sit any other way than this." Lawliet explained, "if I sit the way other people do, my reasoning ability drops by forty percent."

"Forced habit," Kat answered, twirling her hair again.

"So, Yagami-kun. What did you want to ask me?"

"That can wait until you're positive that I'm not Kira. So you go ahead and start, Ryuga." Light said.

"In that case..." Lawliet began, "I don't mean to be rude, but can I test your reasoning abilities?"

"Sure. Sounds like fun." Light answered. Oh, was he in for it.

Kat smirked slightly; Lawliet always had ulterior motives for tests.

Light drank some of his coffee.

"Does the fact that we told you we were L and K tell you anything?"

"_Hmm_." Light considered the question, "let's see... it indicates you both have some hopes that I can help you solve this case... and... you've deduced that even if you tell someone who may be Kira that your L and K, you won't be killed... or that you've taken some steps to ensure that you can't be killed..." he explained, answering with no hesitation.

"And that means, although news reports so far have said only that Kira needs to know what someone looks like to kill them, maybe he needs something else as well." he continued.

"In which case that 'something else' would be their name." he decided, and Kat resisted rolling her eyes, did he get nothing out of the little escapade she had put on?

"I draw this conclusion from the fact that, while L would always use an alias anyway, you made a point in calling yourself Hideki Ryuga, someone whose name and face are known to practically everyone in Japan."

"Correct." Lawliet said bluntly, Kat could almost see his mind going a million miles per hour.

"Your saying I'm right, just like that?" Light asked.

"Why should I hide the fact that you're right?" Lawliet shot back at him in return.

"Next question, from what you deduced, what would you say about what I did in public after the whole 'Lind. L. Tailor' incident?" Kat ventured, setting her head in her chin to feign boredom.

Once more, no pause. "The fact that K was assuring the fact that Kira could not kill her with a name if he just looked at her, even if her features were incorrect, in the color scope at least."

Kat nodded, blowing air out.

"But the probability that you're really L and K is extremely low." Light pointed out.

"Why's that?" Lawliet asked.

"If I was L, I would reason that it's enough to have another person approach someone I suspect may be Kira and tell him that they're L." Light answered.

"The real L needs to stay someplace safe at all times." he explained, "even when he's using the police, he needs to do that from the shadows, out of view."

"But K is an Agent, she does hands on missions and such, then again, I suppose you are going to elaborate on the fact that she wears a mask and what not?"

"I see... your right that anyone calling himself L puts himself in danger. And why would he come out into the open now, when he's never shown himself before... it would be stupid for the real L to do such a thing..." Lawliet said, Kat fingered her hair; Lawliet might as well have said he was an idiot. Not to mention he ignored her completely.

"Still, I actually think you really might be L, Ryuga." Light said. Kat cleared her throat indignantly. "And you K, Kaori."

"Meaning?" Lawliet asked.

"Well, most people probably imagine L to be a lot older then you, or more detective like somehow." Light told him. "You're too out of character to be a convincing fake. So you must be real..."

"And what are the odds that L took that into account in choosing me?" Lawliet asked. He was trying to see in how many ways Light could sum it up.

"_Hmm_, since it's L we're talking about; I guess there's a good chance of that." Light agreed. "The same applies to you Kaori, most people assume that Agent K would be a male or at least someone more older since she helps L with some of his cases. You don't look the part, but we are talking about two geniuses so the skies the limit." He offered them a smile, probably more to reel in Kat, like most of the female population at To-oh. "

"When you start second guessing and third guessing like this, it's endless." Light laughed, "I have to admit I'm getting pretty confused!"

"Since this is basically an interview to see if I can request your help in the investigation, I suppose it's rude not to show you anything at all." Lawliet said as he reached into his back pocket.

"This information has never been made public. I'd like you to look at it and tell me what you think." Lawliet requested, sliding four sheets of paper across the table.

"This is a list of the twelve FBI agents who were murdered by Kira, with the order in which they received the file and the order in which they died." Lawliet explained and Kat noted the missing elements in the explanation. "And these three photographs show notes written by prisoners shortly before they died. We believe they wrote them under Kira's control."

"First please take a look at the FBI list. Does it tell you anything?" Lawliet asked.

"_Hmm_? Let's see..." Light looked over the list of names.

"What's this file you said they received?" Light asked, "If I don't know that, there's no way I can make sense of this."

Kat turned her neon eyes towards him, trying to mentally record everything he did.

"Oops... sorry; that's a file containing the names and photographs of all twelve agents, so they could each know who the others were. The day they received this file, they all died." Lawliet explained.

"In that case... okay, Kira needs to know what people look like, and maybe also their names... this file contained both names and photos..." Light began. "And the very same day the agents received this file, they all died... so there's a possibility that Kira used this file to kill them."

"All right. what about these notes?" Lawliet asked.

"These three notes are very interesting." A glint passed through his head, her instincts were on alert as she held back the urge to smack this human.

"If it's true that Kira can kill people and also control their actions; that's pretty amazing." he said. "It looks to me like he could have 'dictated' these notes, actually; because they contain a hidden taunt to L."

"If you take the first word of every line they form a sentence, or rather, a question. Because the order that makes the most sense would be, let's see... 'L do you know gods of death love apples?'" he said.

"But... the backs of these photos have their print number on them... if you put them in that order– the message reads 'L do you know love apples? Gods of death.' that doesn't make much sense, so I find it hard to believe Kira wanted L to read it like that." he finished.

"Incorrect," Both she and Lawliet chorused monotonously. "In fact there's a forth note." she continued as L took out another note. "If you add this, you get the following message: 'L do you know love apples? Gods of death have red hands.'"

"Okay, but if there were only three notes, my reasoning was flawless." Light argued.

"No it wasn't, because there were in fact four notes. Figuring _that_ out would have made your reasoning flawless." Lawliet answered.

"I think I'm correct in deducing that you decided there were only three notes, Yagami-kun, and therefore could not infer there might be a fourth one." Lawliet finished.

"Gee... your right I didn't think of that." Light agreed, "but still, either way I don't think these notes will help you find Kira. I mean shinigami don't even exist." Light pointed out.

"All right. Now let's suppose you're L. If you came face to face with someone who might be Kira, how would you try to determine if he was?" Lawliet asked.

"I'd try to make them say things that haven't been reported on the news. Things only Kira could know. Just like you're doing now, Ryuga." Ligt answered.

"Very good." Lawliet said. "I've already asked the same question to a number of detectives, and most of them took a few minutes to think about it. When they finally came up with an answer, it was usually something silly like, 'bring out a well known criminal and watch from a hidden location if they kill him or not'... but you, Yagami-kun, were instantly able to think about it from the perspective of Kira talking to an investigator."

"I have to say you're quite brilliant Yagami-kun." Lawliet said. Kat sighed, She absolutely loathed being ignored, especially in these situations.

"_Ha ha._.. you make it sound like if I am doing too well, I'm under even more suspicion." Raito told him.

"Indeed. Now it's up to three percent..." Lawliet stated, "however, this also increases my desire to have you help us in the investigation."

"To tell you the truth, you guessed correctly earlier. At present, I am not the only one going around calling himself L." that was obvious, who really can solve two thousand cases without other detectives? "My position is this– even if you _are_ Kira, I'd like you to help us with this investigation. Do you understand my logic?" Lawliet asked, another test.

"If I help you, the investigation might move forward, at the same time, if I'm Kira I might slip up and betray myself... in other words, you can kill two birds with one stone... I think it's a great idea." Light answered.

But then he switched emotions just how she usually switched facades.

"I think you've got me all wrong, Ryuga" Light stated, "while it's true I'm very interested in the Kira case and even in helping to solve it... I'm not Kira, and I sure as hell don't want to get killed."

"I'm not going to help someone I can't even trust and end up getting murdered by Kira. I'd rather think about the case on my own. You can't prove to me that you aren't Kira, either. So you and I are in the same position, basically. Think about it from my perspective. Is it fair that you get to question me but I can't question you?" Light asked.

"Anybody looks at us, all they see are two college students. In fact, most people would probably say you're more likely to be Kira then me. Neither of us can prove we aren't Kira. But if you're L, Ryuga, or even a stand-in for L, you ought to be able to prove that."

"I'm talking about having someone I can trust, for example someone from the task force, or my father, tell me strait out that you're L, or at the very least a part of the investigation. If you say you can't do that until I prove I'm not Kira, then I can't work with you on this case." he finished.

"Not to intrude on the terribly interesting conversation," Kat made an annoyed motion with her hand. "But we never told you that you could not ask someone of the task force to prove that Ryuga over here is L. He is in fact in direct contact with your father, but it seems you have either no qualms about me being K or are sure I am not: how horrifically frustrating." She mumbled the last part.

Light seemed surprised to say the least, that he was allowed to see the task force, than, all at once, both Lawliet and her cell phones rang. "Ah, excuse us," She said sickeningly polite.

At that minute Raito's phone went off as well. "Now it's mine..." he said and answered.

"Yagami- kun, your father..." Lawliet began.

"Had a heart attack..." Light finished.

Kat's eyes were wide as she heard Matsuda, who had stolen the phone from Watari, babbling away about Kira getting the Chief.

She got more irate and hissed, "Matsuda, please shut up! This is serious!"

**Maddy: New piccy links for Kat and L! The one with L in swimwear is here! (Please go view but be cautious of drooling on computer!)**


	12. Chapter 12

Kat was standing next to L, her green eyes turned out towards the windows

Chapter 12

Kat was standing next to L, her green eyes turned out towards the windows. She was struggling a bit, to keep K from running out or lashing at the humans. The sterile environment, the needles, the smell of death and disease, it reminded her too much of the labs, the latter two more of the Moscow event.

She supposed this was the other reason Watari never wanted to take her to a hospital, other than to keep the fact that she was inhuman secret. She twirled a silver tress, one of many among the ebony locks.

As a part of her battled K, another was idly fiddling around with the Kira case and yet another was pondering frantically of ways to make amends with Lawliet. She was not very fond of the wedge that K had driven between them. Not only that, but she was not to keen to the fact that K had been influenced by her sorrowful emotions and tried to teach her a lesson by bashing their body. _And yet K does not notice that we are one in the same, in a sense._

She flicked her eyes to the men as she saw them all looking at her, expectantly almost. "Yes?"

Soichiro looked at the younger men in the room first, after seeing that they were not going to divulge anything with her; he repeated the question, "Ko--"

"Outside I am Iida Kaori, Yagami-san." She said silently, turning her body to fully face them all.

"Kaori, Ryuuzaki was speaking about that mission you were on, when you did not give your all, Light wanted to know about it too."

She tilted her head, ear twitching from beneath the ribbon, Lawliet caught the little flutter of hair near the top of her head, noting she was thinking or annoyed.

"Yes, but that is not a question." She stated halfheartedly, truly bored with talking or anything.

"I believe he would like to know _why_ you did not give your all, Kaori." Lawliet said, biting his thumb, aiming his wide eyes at her. Kat sighed resignedly, licking her lips before starting on her single statement.

"Truthfully speaking, I have no idea why K was acting so moronically, she usually is more apathetic and quick with the jobs, and the rest is confidential, the walls have ears." She spoke cryptically, turning around back to the window. Looking at the gathering clouds above her head, her eyes able to see the shadows and vivid colors better than any full human could hope to.

That was a subject, she once asked Lawliet about it, wondering what it was like to see things through a humans eyes when he was fourteen, visiting the orphanage.

_Kat was sitting next him, just staring at the children running around, furrowing her brows when she saw one of the children fall. Lawliet caught this, turning to the bubbly little boy that had fallen a ways away. _

_Silent, it was, as they watched the smaller children stumble more, while the older ones did something idiotic. _

_It was a peaceful sunny day, and Kat had pulled Lawliet out to be with her under the shade f her favorite tree, tail swaying hypnotically. _

"_Lawliet, do humans not see where things are?" She asked, rubbing a peace of hair between her thumb and index finger. _

_He gave her a questioning look, "You know we __**do**__, Kat. Why do you ask?" _

_She shifted her weight to one of her feet, tilting her head. "I do not mean it like that, what I am trying to say is, details? Like, those dust motes floating around our heads?" She swirled her hand to make her point. "Or the little grains in the wood, the bright colors?" She pointed her hands towards a wooden bench approximately fifteen meters away. _

_Lawliet squinted at everything she showed him, trying to imagine what it was through her eyes but only got a vague image. He put his thumb to his lips pensively, "No, we cannot see that well. Tell me, are all of your senses that developed?" _

_Kat brushed her bangs out of her eyes, rolling back a bit to lean against the tree. "I suppose; my equilibrium is fine," She muttered. _

_Lawliet rolled his eyes uncharacteristically, "You can balance on rails, never fall and can jump from the bloody roof," He corrected. _

_She aimed her eyes at him, trying to pick up the emotion he was using. "My sight and smell is at an exceptional level…"_

_Once more, he righted her, "You see grains of wood, can see in the dark and sniff out the sweets in the kitchen all the way from our room."_

_For some odd reason, she felt her cheeks heat a bit. "And, all this is complacent with being part cat. I want to see you admonish that one!" She exclaimed the last part, narrowing her eyes mockingly. _

_Lawliet chuckled a bit at her antics, never missing a beat. "I was not admonishing you, Kat, you were simply demeaning yourself by saying you were less than you really are…" He trailed off as he saw her curious eyes looking at him, drinking in all of what he was saying. _

_Suddenly, he stood up, extending his hand towards her. "C'mon, lets go inside for some tea." _

When they left, it was with Light and Lawliet chatting about the case again. Kat noted blandly that it was already night time. She proceeded to get into the car when Mr. Wammy pulled up, deciding that the men should get things over with. Not to mention that Yagami boy made her fur stand on end. Never a good sign.

She greeted the kind man, pulling her legs up to her chest as she sat, leaning her forehead against the cool of the window as a dull throb developed in it. She was over-thinking things, surely. If it was not about the Kira case it was about speculating every aspect of every human that came her way, wasting brain cells as she deemed them safe or not. But this was one of her basic instincts, she knew that all to well.

The car started moving, the humming of the engine coaxing her eyes shut. This was not good at all, the hospital setting was starting to bring back her anxiousness, and everything about this case was bringing back that girl that was mute with humans and furious by herself at herself.

Lawliet had his head turned towards her, noticing the less than happy girl sitting next to him. He floundered around in his head, trying to figure out if it was appropriate to try and wheedle some sort of emotion that was norm for the girl he had come to call "best friend."

Minutes passed, and Kat let out a small mew of discomfort. Muttering about foul thoughts giving her even more hurts and sores than usual. But it was too quiet for Lawliet to hear.

"Kat…I am sorry for…snapping at you…before…" He was struggling for words, looking from the back of her head (where the hair had fluttered and rose a bit, telling him her ears were as propped as could go) to his feet.

He was silent; trying to contemplate what might be going through her head.

"What does the word 'sorry mean…?" She asked weakly, feeling her chest constrict from the pressure in her head. (_A/N: It happens, I know it has to me, at least) _

"To be sorry means that I am apologizing, but I don't suppose you know that one either…" Kat shook her head to confirm his presumption. (She had used the words before, but that was what she assumed you said when something wrong was done) "It means, means, to try to make peace, to make amends, tell me if I am confusing you any more please," He had bowed his head from her silence, unable to tell if she was still K or Kat for once.

"If that is what it means, than I, _too,_ am sorry for not being able to suppress her," She mumbled, backing her head away from the window dejectedly, liquid prickling at the corner of her eyes as the pain increased ten-fold.

Lawliet now saw her in full, the bags under her eyes were more prominent than usual, her eyes were turning red and glossy, her hair was in more of a disarray from running her through it one time too-much and her button nose was turning a pink color.

"What is wrong, Kokoro?" He asked; the anxiousness in his voice hidden away. Might this be a new side affect to being half-human half-cat?

"No, I just have some pain in my head; it is just what humans call a 'headache.' I will take a pain killer when I get home, Ryuuzaki." She mumbled, the little droplets of water beginning to cascade down her cheeks, creating little wet spots on the uniform she had picked for the day (the inverted versions of her black uniform).

All the way to the hotel, he kept his eyes surreptitiously on her; not that it really would matter, since her senses were clogged up and focused on relieving herself of the headache. He would have to tell Mr. Wammy of this. There was another reason that Kat was not aware of, that they refused to let her go to a hospital. For all of the years that they were working on cases out side of the orphanage, they had been keeping their eyes on her, making sure that the feline gene she had in her blood did not alter her to the point of an early grave. Mr. Wammy had informed him previously that the people that had been working on her (though he was very vague and cryptic about it) had determined that she might perish prematurely because she might have the lifespan of a cat or the human immune system might be trying to destroy the feline gene, or even vise-versa. It was very tiresome for them to do all of this but they kept on by encouraging themselves, saying that they would do this the rest of there lives if they could keep that quiet fragile girl in their lives for as long as they live, however selfish that might have sounded at the time.

-

Kat was lying on a couch in a melancholic mood, a wet towel on her head. She was not at all please with anything even remotely relating to water (though she could tolerate warm water, why? It was more comfortable, she supposed). They were all speaking about someone that was missing, that nice Naomi Misora human, the one that acted just as coolly to Kat as K did to everyone else not in her inner circle.

Her eyes started to flutter close when Watari told Lawliet to turn on the TV. Her ears perked up and she quietly made her way to Lawliet's side, holding the towel onto her head while looking at the TV with her neon green eyes, ears perked up and tail swaying. Maybe this would be new information or something of the sort.

"_In other words, we are being held hostage by Kira and have no choice but to air these videos. At the same time, we feel that doing so is our professional duty._" the anchor said. "_I would like to emphasize once again that these tapes are not being broadcast as a hoax or for the purposes of sensationalism." _

"Held hostage by Kira? What's going on here?" the task force members shouted, causing Kat to hiss slightly in pain.

"_Four days ago, an envelope containing four videotapes arrived at this station, addressed to one of our directors. It was, without a shadow of a doubt, sent by Kira._" The man continued. "_The first tape announced the date and time of death for Seiichi and Seiji Machiba, who were arrested the other day._"

"_Exactly as predicted, these two men died yesterday at seven pm of heart attacks. Who besides Kira is capable of carrying out something like this? From this fact, we have concluded that the sender of these videos was none other then Kira._" He announced.

"_The envelope we received contained instructions from Kira telling us to air this, the second video, at exactly 5:59 pm today._" the anchor said as the camera zoomed in on the video tape in his hands. "_We have not viewed this video ourselves, but Kira's instructions state that it fortells yet another death and contains a message to people all over the world._"

A woman took the tape from the man's hands and walked off screen.

"This has got to be another on of their' fake stories, right...?" Ukita asked.

"No way... not even Sakura would go this far..." Matsuda answered.

"_the time is 5:59 pm. You are now going to see Kira's video._" the anchor finished.

The screen changed to a white back ground with the word KIRA hand written in black ink across the center, it was the same gothic font that Lawliet always used(since Kat preffered this nice little cursive like one that resemble formal writing styles of the 1800s), but in order to know that was the font, this Kira would have needed to be in the Kanto region of Japan five days after the Kira killings started, and they would have had to of seen the broadcast that L had used to first challenge Kira. And Kat refused to think this was a fluke, it seemed too deliberate. However that might sound.

"_I am Kira._" a deep fake voice said, the sound quality was sad, the static incredibly loud to Kat's ears, she winced again, struggling to not cover them up even if they were now lying flat against her head. "_If this video is aired at exactly 5:59 PM on April 18th... it is now 5:59 and 38, 39, 40 seconds..._"

"_Please switch channels to Taiyo TV. The news anchor, Mr. Kazuhiko Hibima, at precisely six PM._" the Kira voice said. Underneath all of the noise, Kat could detect a female quality, something about the way the words were phrased, the dialect and pitch. She would pull up some computer programs later…

The Task force members were all in outrage, unbelieving towards the news.

"Change the channel!" L ordered.

A man lay face down on the desk between to frightened people who were calling over crew members to help with the body.

"Switch back to Sakura!" L told them. "Watari, bring another tv set here... no, two tv sets."

"_Mr. Hibima has consistently referred to Kira as "evil" in his news reports. This was his punishment._" the Kira voice explained. "_But one demonstration alone does not serve as absolute proof. I will present you with another. My next target is a commentator who has also condemned me repeatedly. He is scheduled to be appearing live on the air at this time..._"

"Ryuzaki..."

"Go to channel 24!" Lawliet commanded forcefully, chewing on his thumb hard.

Several people were gathered around a man's limp body on the channel.

"...They said Kira would be sending a message to people all over the world..." Lawliet began. "We have to make them stop this broadcast or something terrible is going to happen!"

"I'll get Sakura TV's phone number!" Matsuda shouted as he grabbed the phone.

"_I trust you now believe that I really am Kira._" The voice said.

Kat shook her head; she recognized the voice from somewhere, even if it was masked inaccurately. No one could reach any of the channels.

She looked at the frantic task force, and then her eyes landed on Lawliet, watching him loose his façade right before her eyes. She gave everyone one last glance before she quickly made her escape, jumping out a window.

"Humph... Dammit! Then I'm going over there to make then stop it myself!" Ukita called as he ran to the door.

"Ukita!" Matsuda shouted after him.

That was the last sentence she heard. The headache she had would have to take a back seat to her affairs. Being thankful that she had been lounging around in black pants, her black vest and pulled her wig and mask on.

Minutes after she left, Lawliet looked down, eyes wide when he did not see Kat where she should have been. "Where is Kokoro?!" Though that was what he was saying, he actually wanted to yell out _"Where the bloody hell is she?!"_ but he would keep whatever tact he had left.

And then pandemonium broke out as Ukita was killed on live television. K had been wise to not go down, she was sure if this Kira saw her than they would kill her on the spot. And yes, she wasd positive this Kira was not the same, the killing signature was not the same, it was like switching L's personality with her's. It did not fit well at all.

TV stations anchors were popping up ever where and K was itching to have a go at anyone of them. As soon as a police bus broke through the glass doors of Sakura TV, Kat jumped down from her perch, letting the cameras catch her, she scanned the sky scraper's around her, eyes locking on to any person that was looking in her direction or in the general direction, ignoring the reporters speaking avidly about "Agent K" and calling her over for a quote.

Then she saw a glint in one of the windows, and a flash of blonde. She hissed foully under her breath at the reporters before dashing out of view at a speed humans would not see. She scaled the walls of the building quickly, reaching a large room with a telescope in it.

"_Chikuso,_" She cursed, running back into an alley way, mind working millions of miles an hour to try and connect anyone. Their was a small amount of people in Japan with blonde hair that were female. Once she unscrambled the audio, she might be able to connect it to internet files or even if they were remotely popular to TV shows.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 Maddy: Sorry, to interrupt anything but I am in desperate need of a beta or someone to double check this stuff as I post it. Anyone willing to become my beta or be able to successfully edit one of the chapters will get their own One Shot with the Character of their choice, furthermore, I will not choose you if we are friends, perhaps if I have read one of your stories and see the errors in it grammatical or otherwise, you need to be able to keep up with my odd hours since I know not all live in the USA. Other than that particular subject, I believe I need to clear something up.

**One of the reviewers said that it was out of character for L and Kat to apologize. The reason that I put it in is because I put myself in a position where I was both. It is a good method, just try to imagine one of the only people you trust, are friends with, knows who you are (and I use the phrase "know" lightly) and has some understanding of you (once more, using the term "understanding" lightly) not speaking to you because of something dreadfully trivial. It makes you feel incredibly horrible, no? So, knowing my character's inside and out, I just put down what I believed was good, even if it might have or have not been written vaguely, I was certainly not going to have a sobbing mess and L literally falling apart for Kat. That would have been utterly and completely preposterous. I apologize if this is wordy, lengthy or even if I sound mean. I was just making a clarification. **

Chapter 13

Kat cursed K for getting up on her high horse and deciding to go all "cat's do whatever they want" on her. She admitted, even if it was mainly K, she too wanted to go and see things for herself. Running a hand through her hair, she looked up at the hotel, sighing at the prospect of having to see Lawliet and explain to him that she quite literally lost control of herself.

Turning her tired but curious eyes towards the building, she began her ascent up the building, shrouds of shadow flickering on her as she climbed through the bedroom window.

She took her mask off and pulled her laptop towards her, hell bent on finding out who the Second Kira was. _It should not be all of too hard,_ she thought; _Matt has been instructing me on how to do this stuff, even if Mello demanded in exchange for me to give them an apprenticeship. Who in their right mind says, "God dammit! You learn something than we do to!"? Odd, that one. _

She clicked through many pages, setting up the programs before she had to go and make copies of the "Kira" tapes. Even if she was horrible at _making_ devices, unlike a few people, she was fine with programs and things like it.

She remained in the room for a majority of the time until she heard calm take the task force over again. They must have retrieved Yagami-san from the ordeal.

"Excuse me while I go fetch Kokoro," She heard through the walls, he was right outside the door. She grabbed a lock of her hair and began to twirl it while she typed away, ears twitching when the door closed and the soft thump of footsteps reached the bed.

Lawliet was silent as he watched Kat twirl the purple strands of her wig, probably having forgotten she had the thing on. Which, that in itself was just something the cat girl tended to do when she was trying to cover up for something (that is, if it was Mr. Wammy or himself).

He walked to the bed and sat down next to Kat just like her, which would be in a normal way since she had her legs straightened out with the computer on her lap. Placing his thumb to his lips, he looked at the screen of her laptop, noticing the many e-mails she had opened from Matt.

"To get right to the point, why did you take matters into your own hands…?" Lawliet asked, looking at the screen rather than her green eyes which were now pointedly staring at him. Kat did not know how to phrase it so she bluntly said, "K did. Took control. Can you please be kind enough to bring me the Kira tapes? We can watch them in here right after the task force leaves." She said, opening a window with "Eighteen Magazine" flashing above, the main feature being "Misa-Misa," a song called "Caramelldansen" blasting from the page. Kat shook her head at the little figures dancing and coaxing her to dance along. She would do that when she finally died from a shot or something. (Please notice she would be _dead_ when that happened)

He nodded, getting up to go dismiss the task force, saying he would watch the tapes. Kat looked at the purple locks wrapped around her finger and mewed huffily, yanking it off her head and letting her own tresses out.

Suppressing a yawn, she continued to mutely flip through pages of info on the Misa girl, trusting her instincts to lead her in the right direction. She did not even look up as Lawliet entered the room, still flicking through pages fast, when she finally came to one that was remotely interesting. "Hm, so she I s Kira supporter…" She muttered, clicking open another file of police reports. Lawliet had once again crawled up to where she was, looking at the screen.

"What are you doing, Kat?" He asked, reminiscent of a curious child in the way he said it.

She turned to him, pulling the laptop around so he could see.

"This is Amane Misa, nineteen and freshly out of high school, her current occupation status stands as an upcoming model and spokesperson," She said vaguely, letting Lawliet look the rest of the information over himself. She leaned over to the dresser, pulling out a box of pocky and assorted hard candies imported from different countries. Lawliet momentarily froze as he saw her black vest hike up a bit, showing more of her flat stomach than usual. Shaking his head of the impolite ogling images, he continued to read, thanking Kat when she handed him a few sticks of strawberry pocky while she took a chocolate flavored one. Lawliet shook his head, he could swear that either she picked that habit from Mello or he picked it up from her.

"So…I deduct that you believe this girl to be…Kira?" He asked, munching on the candy sticks.

Kat nodded her head, then paused and shook it. "No, she is the _Second_ Kira."

Lawliet looked up at her, "Oh? And why might you think that?"

Kat was not an idiot, she knew he was testing her. "Simple, this Kira is sloppy and is undoubtedly female, the previous one was male, and did his worked, albeit only slightly, more diligently." She said, flopping back onto the pillows, placing a hand behind her head.

"And why Misa Amane?" He questioned further, the wheels in his head turning as he contemplated everything Kat told him.

"To start off, the victims shifted from mass murderers and such to drug addicts and celebrities- which led me to believe that the second Kira was among them as well and had an odd vision, perhaps having celebrities as better role models?" She paused, glancing at Lawliet as he nodded at her to go on.

"Not to mention that when I listened to the live broadcast of the tapes, something about the dialogue instantly told me it was a female, the way she phrased things, and the fact that I could pick up a certain high pitch from it, males would not have that." When Lawliet gave a fleeting stare at her ears she returned to explaining. "And the fact that I saw a flash of blonde when I was down at the scene," She added, picking a tape up and doing some complicated things before adjusting the voice. Making it sound exactly like Amane Misa. She tapped her chin in thought as Lawliet merely stared, it being more unsettling than usual. After squirming a bit she decided to just try and pretend he was not there. But then that did not feel right. Giving a sigh, she popped out the disk with the model's voice and gave it to Lawliet.

"I suggest we keep this piece of information to ourselves, at least until we have Light on the task force."

-

Kat was lying on her stomach, swinging her legs at the same time as her tail. She was stacking a bunch of cards after getting peeved off with her computer when it failed to give her any more information.

Lawliet was looking at the TV situated in the bedroom, eyes curiously wandering over to Kat every once in a while when he heard her give a soft hiss or mew, even a high pitched meow of uncertainty, _("You are most likely the only one that can accurately guess what I am saying when I switch to Feline Language,"_ _Kat once told him after once having weaved little fables that the other cats had told her.)_

"So... what's on them, Ryuuzaki?" Chief Yagami asked as the task force entered the bedroom without so much as a knock. Kat glanced at them once, the only one looking at her questioningly was Matsuda.

"Very interesting videos," Lawliet said. "The instructions were to broadcast video 3 if the police said 'yes' to working with Kira. And if the answer was 'no,' to show video 4." He put his thumb to his lip.

"Video 3 details the conditions for cooperation. Basically, they were to show more criminals on the news, and particularly to report crimes in which people were injured, or cruelty was shown toward the weak, even if those crimes were minor. And Kira will be the one to decide who should be punished." He explained, Kat grimaced in disgust, it was one thing for them to try to bring 'justice' to the world, it was completely different if civilians tried to take the law into their own hands without the proper morale and aptitude.

"And, as proof that the police are sincere about working together with him– to have top NPA officials and L appear on TV to make the announcement." At which point, Kat glared, muttering about idiotic criminals and their propositions.

"They also refrained from demanding Agent K to appear, so either they have determined her unworthy of death and merely a nuisance or the more probable, they have deduced that K cannot be killed by the killing style used by Kira."

"So what about the 'no' video, number 4...?" Chief Yagami asked, most likely completely disregarding the little fact about K.

"Basically, it's the same thing; just expressed in a different manner." Lawliet answered. "It'll be much faster to have you watch it then to explain it in words." he told them reaching for the remote on the table.

Lawliet turned around and preposed they play "Go Fish," not in the mood to argue, she agreed then asking "Should I call Watari for some fishing poles?" To which Lawliet just shook his head and began explaining the rules. She just nodded her head, a childishly determined look on her face as she raised her fist and bobbed her head, exclaiming that she would succeed.

Lawliet switched to the task force when the video ended.

"Yagami-san. Obviously, the police are going to say 'no;' so please go ahead and give Sakura TV permission to air this video," He said after the task force had watched the tape.

Kat sighed; it would take four days till the tape was aired. She flopped backwards, flicking her eyes at the computer screen.

Then her mind suddenly took a sharp turn. A solitary massive cruise liner moving unknowingly towards an iceberg, impending doom to befall to the majority of passengers, it seemed like and interesting idea. She turned her emerald orbs to Lawliet, noticing he was simply staring out into space while biting onto his thumb.

Biting her lip, Kat rose to her feet slowly, picking up a minute blue cellular phone from the bed. After dialing and asking for them, she closed it and made a gargantuan leap to land next to Lawliet. He merely turned his raven head on her, wondering why she was asking Mr. Wammy about "The Titanic."

"Ne, why are you looking at me like that, Ryuuzaki?" She asked, unintentionally leaning towards his face.

Lawliet turned away from her, looking at the screen of the TV instead. "I was just trying to decipher why you were asking about _The Titanic._"

Kat shifted around so that she was at eyelevel with him again, even closer to him. "Well, you could have just asked. I asked Watari for it because of something I read on the internet." She paused, tilting her head at him in such a way that painted a picture of a naïve puppy hearing a new sound. "You will watch it with me, yes?"

Lawliet bit his thumb hard, "Yes- of course- sure," He floundered around. "May I ask what brought this on?"

Kat leaned in more, eyes focusing on a spot next to his lips. "Oh, I read that stuff like 'friends' 'loyalty' 'betrayal' and such are portrayed in it, I suppose you can explain why they act like that when the movie finishes."

Lawliet then noticed where her eyes were. "Uh, Kokoro, why are you looking at my…?"

She smiled, leaning in closer than backing up, raising her left hand up. "You had a piece of pocky on your cheek, it was very distracting." A naïve grin painted her features.

AT that moment, Lawliet could have face planted on the bed if he was immature, but no, he kept his composure and merely gave a curt nod, thanking her for taking it off.

-

Lawliet watched the scenes oddly, just as Kat asked, "Why are the windows of the car steaming up?" Then two seconds later: "Why do they not have clothes on?" Needless to say he did not answer those questions.

He remained silent as the movie went on, and Kat continued to ask questions like "What is love?" "Why do they shoot guns so poorly?" (to which he said it was merely acting. "_I __**know **__it's acting, but at least aim."_) And "Are they best friends like we are? Why do we not do things like that, Ryuuzaki?"

He looked down at the cat girl to find her head resting on his hip, curled up. Well, that was one way he could avoid answering her questions.

Lawliet kept his eyes on her a few seconds before shifting her so that he could lie down. Sleep did not sound so bad, maybe they would be able to get a few hours in without nightmares.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 Chapter 14

Yagami-san walked into an empty hotel room along with the rest of the task force. All of them had a similar question running through their heads; "Where are K and L?"

Of course, a _very_ pessimistic comment from Matsuda was then added, "What if they switched hotels again!?"

"No, they would have informed us, Matsuda." The chief told him, a tad exasperated with the rookie.

"Why don't we search the place out?" Aizawa offered, already heading towards the kitchen. Everyone seemed to give an affirmative nod.

After a few commands and whines, they all separated, searching the luxury hotel room high and low. Yagami-san had chosen to check the bed room. Being the gentleman he was, he of course, knocked on the door softly first, asking if anyone was in there than turned the knob and pushed the door open.

His eyes widened slightly before softening. Kat was curled up against Lawliet, hands gripping his shirt while he had a hand draped across her; the position not obscene or repulsive in the least, however, reminding the father of two of his own children, of puppy love, of the innocence of youth.

He placed his hand on the table with a smile, wondering if they were already together, siblings or something of the sort.

"Hey, chief! Have you found them?!" But of course, the ever effervescent rookie had to ruin everything by appearing at the door with the rest of the task force. The loud burst of noise caused the young prodigies to stir.

Kat opened her bleary eyes, senses on high alert as she heard other people breathing other than herself. She focused her eyes tiredly on what her fingers were hanging onto. She snapped her eyes shut when she saw a sea of white then opened one at a time when she felt it shifting underneath her fingers. Something on her moved, and she noted halfheartedly it was an arm.

She lifted herself up, a small yawn escaping her lightly fuchsia colored lips, stretching a milky white arm out while the other covered her mouth.

Lawliet too had been shifting but promptly froze when he felt his arm on something fleshy and slightly warm. He opened his own eyes to be met with a sleepy faced Kat, ears twitching and tail starting to sway a bit.

"Mmm, Good Morning," She said, completely disregarding the hand that had slipped to her lap then quickly retracted itself.

Lawliet then decided it was best to act as if it was completely normal, not wanting to be spasm-y and acting like a hormonal teenager (because we all know that that period in your life is pure hell). A yawn escaped his own mouth as he rose from the bed, wiping his feet off on his jeans.

After a few seconds they turned to the task force, cat tilting her head and Lawliet placing his thumb to his mouth, both looking like children again.

"I think I will go do that thing that I said I was going to do, Ryuuzaki." She told him, grabbing a few clothes and wig off of the dresser, throwing a small smile around the room before languidly heading to the bathroom.

Matsuda risked sending a very risqué glance at Lawliet as she unintentionally sauntered away.

When she was out of ear shot, Lawliet turned to Matsuda, a wave of fury hiding behind his blue-gray eyes. "Please do not insinuate anything sexual happened between Kokoro and me, Matsuda." The aura around him was clearly dangerous as he aimed a seemingly lazy glare to the young rookie.

-

Kat walked into a Model agency, looking at the pictures hanging on the walls of the girls. They all had "scandalous" pieces of their personal lives posted up, advertisements or just pictorials. Kat had done extensive research on the job before she came up with her epiphany, once more trusting her instincts more than anything. She had seen that they classified the girls as "pretty" or "beautiful," well, enough so that men wanted to grope them and women wanted to be them. She qualified for the groping part if the man back in Miami counted for anything…

_This is about taking risks for the case; I just have to sacrifice a bit to find some more information on this Amane Misa character. _

"Hello! Welcome to the uh…modeling agency! Do you have an appointment? What's your name? Are you Misa-chan's friend?" The bubbly girl asked quickly. Kat resisted twitching as she pulled a giant smile onto her features.

"Oh, yes! I have an appointment with Yuriko Yoshida-san, I am Saionji Tomoe, nope, but I want to be her friend!" She answered in order, thankful she had managed to change her alias and convince the office that she was tired of being associated with someone famous.

"Uwah?! You are going to meet Misa-Misa's manager?!" The overzealous girl was grating on K's last nerve and starting to irritate Kat.

"Um, Tomo-chan is not allowed to tell, so shush! But I am going to partner up with Misa-Misa!" She whispered to the girl, winking and adding another smile. Kat thanked the heaven's that she had researched all of this or else she would have blown her cover by trying to have an intelligent conversation.

"Ah! I wish you the best than Tomo-chan! The room is just down the hall!" The girl waved on, throwing a fist in the air, eerily reminding Kat of the Go Fish game Lawliet was teaching her about.

She nodded and saluted the receptionist, "_Aa_, Receptionist-chan!" And with that she began walking down the hall.

Kat knocked on the door softly before opening it, peering around it with her green eyes, "Ah! Tomo-chan is here! Are you Yoshida-san?" She questioned, looking away from the blonde model that she recognized from the profile and towards the older woman.

"Yes, yes, you must be Saionji Tomoe, previously named Iida Kaori," She drawled on, taking out a file from her to-oh papers.

Kat walked in, nodding. "Yes! But I go by Tomo-chan! It sounds better!" She said, sitting down next to the other model.

K switched with her for a second, sending a glare toward's the manager. She had not gotten into the agency by foolishness; she had to flaunt money in a few people's faces and pull out a few weapons, leading her to scaring them into letting her get the modeling job. Even if she might or might not meet up to the standards.

Yoshida noticed this and a shuddered.

"Is something wrong, Yoshida-san?" She asked, leaning forward.

The older woman shook her head. "No, Tomo-chan, just noticing how well your college life would fit in with modeling," Yoshida lied through her teeth. "very flexible schedules. I am sure Misa would love to work with you!"

K eyed the woman, it seemed that she was no longer the only actress in the room.

"Hai! Misa-Misa would love to work with Tomo-chan! When is the first photo shoot?" The blonde said enthusiastically, jumping to her feet, grabbing Kat's hand in the process.

"We have one now, and we have released on the internet about the silver haired girl named 'Tomo-chan' so you should be fairly popular, Tomo-chan."

Kat cringed slightly, looking at her silver dyed locks from the corner of her eye.

-

Kat walked to the hotel, a dead tired look on her youthful features. She trudged into the hotel, mumbling a "I'm home" and bowing before heading to the bathroom. She needed to re-dye her hair again.

She felt bushed after being pulled and yanked everywhere. And no, she was not physically tired, by more so tired of the cheerful façade she had to keep up. K just wanted to destroy it and never use it again while Kat just bore with it, even if her smiling muscles ached.

She towel dried her hair as she heard the doors to the hotel room close and thumping footsteps reach outside the bathroom.

"How did it go?" Lawliet asked her. He did not miss how tired she had looked.

"Horrible," He heard the muffled reply, followed by the shutting and opening of drawers. She must have been looking for a comb or something.

"Really? What do you mean by horrible?"

"Horrible: adjective and or noun, meaning very bad, unpleasant, unsightly, sufficiently frightening, distressing, shocking as to provoke horror, or unkind, rude; ill-mannered," She defined.

"No, I mean, what circumstances were provided for you to claim it as 'horrible'?" He bit his thumb, leaning against the wall next to the door.

There was a pause.

"Between the vibrancy of the overzealous ignoramuses, the lack of intelligent conversation and the perky-façade? I would have to say it was a combination," She said darkly, opening the door and walking out in her standard bandages and a pair of sweat pants.

"Yes, that would be horrific," He said, nodding his head. "However, when I asked how it went, I was referring to was your self-appointed mission a success?"

Kat nodded, "Forgive me, being around babbling morons all day must have caused my IQ to drop a few points. It was perfect, she invited me to watch movies with her sometime this week."

With that she excused herself and went to go take a nap on the couch.

-

It was three days later when the Kira tapes were aired. The whole of the task force was sitting in front of monitors with Lawliet and Kat, both of which had a variety of snacks splayed before them. Kat twirled her hair while taking a bite out of a chocolate bar, causing Lawliet to think of a strange mixture of Near (the twirling and her hair was dyed silver) and Mello (the almost style of the hair and the chocolate bar), he shuttered at the thought of the last time all of them were in a room together.

Kat noticed Lawliet's odd actions and gave him a curious look.

"_It is highly unfortunate that the police have said 'no' to my offer._" The Second Kira said, Kat automatically associating Misa to this tape. The task force listened from the hotel room. "_However, I expect news reports to continue featuring criminals as before, or else I will have to pass judgment on people in the police and media._"

"_But... since the police have decided to oppose me, that alone will not do. As a penalty, I will take the life of the director-general of the NPA, which has formed a task force to find and capture me– or as the alleged mastermind leading this task force, known only as L._"

K rolled her eyes, wondering why it was fine and dandy to ignore someone who had publicly announced that she was an assassin for the government, working for L and therefore making her an asset to the 'mastermind.'

"_The director-general or L– which will it be? You have four days to decide who will be sacrificed for the loss of a peaceful and just world._" Kat placed her head in her hand, biting more chocolate off.

"_I know the face of the director general, and could easily take his life. But if L is chosen instead he is to appear on Sakura TV in four days, on the six pm news, and speak for a ten minute period. I will be the judge of whether the person shown is L._"

"_If I determine the person is not L, I will take the lives of several police chiefs worldwide as compensation. Lying to me will cost you dearly. I will say this yet again– I do not want to take the lives of innocent people._"

"_You have four days. Think it over, and think well._"

Kat leaned back, mumbling about human incompetency, for once agreeing with K.

"Yagami-san, I believe that you should go check in with the NPA and see what conclusion they might come up with," Kat said, getting up and looking towards the task force with her neon eyes.

"Yes, Kokoro," he agreed, leaving off with the task he had been given.

They all remained lounging about, Matsuda occasionally pointing out how Misa-Misa and Tomo-chan looked so good together in magazines. Lawliet then started throwing more halfhearted glares his way, causing Kat to tilt her head and ask innocently what was bothering her partner.

Yagami-san walked in the door and sat down on the couch sighing heavily.

"How did it go, chief?" Aizawa asked.

"Just as I thought, Ryuuzaki... world leaders have talked it over among themselves, and... they're demanding that L... not a stand-in but the real L... appear on TV... after doing almost nothing to help with the investigation, they don't even try to come up with an alternative. Kira says jump, they ask how high..." Yagami-san answered.

"Their decision is both right and reasonable." Lawliet said, "it's simply unacceptable for the police to work with Kira. And if it's between me and the NPA director general, of course it should be me. I'm the one who challenged Kira and said I'd capture him. It's the right decision."

"But... that means you'll... be..." Matsuda tried to say, but we all knew already.

"What worries me more is that when I appear on TV, and I intend to... if Kira knows nothing about me, then even if it's really me out there... how do get him to believe I'm L?" he wondered.

"You've got a point..." Matsuda agreed.

"Hey..." Aizawa objected.

"Well, I'll do what I can to make him believe me... but if I fail, and police chiefs around the world get killed as a result... that's what bothers me." Lawliet said. "It'll be quite hard, proving that I'm L... I really don't know how Kira intends to figure it out..."

K sighed, voicing dropping to a lower pitch, "This is where the human incompetency I was mentioning earlier comes into play, this Kira is an airhead that does not think things through all the way, for all they know, L could be anywhere from a hobo-like persona to a well bred business human. It all depends on what this human tends to imagine L as…and we are certainly no mind-readers," she trailed off, crossing her arms irritably.

"Ok, wait! What do you mean _this_ Kira?" Aizawa asked.

K looked at the task forces baffled faces and gritted her teeth. The whole human race was full of idiots.

"Use your heads, would the Kira we encountered earlier on have murdered people because of being drug addicts or something? Not setting a good example? And it is a _rhetorical_ question Matsuda," She added the last part scathingly. (_A/N: I have nothing against Matsuda, this is just how my character came out when I outlined her personalities)_ "Not to mention this one only needs a face to kill." "So, based on that you believe this Kira is a fake?" Yagami-san asked.

"No, not a fake. This Kira clearly has the same powers as the real one; I think she's more of a _second Kira_." K answered, ear twitching.

"What?! A second Kira?!"

"Yes, or that's what I deduced at any rate..." K shrugged.

Kat took over, opting to take her leave and take refuge in the bedroom from the task force, wanting to have a nice conversation with O and P.


	15. Chapter 15

Kat bristled slightly as she saw her reflection in the mirror, for once being able to ignore the object itself and pay attention to what it revealed on its shiny planes

Kat bristled slightly as she saw her reflection in the mirror, for once being able to ignore the object itself and pay attention to what it revealed on its shiny planes. A douse of blue was displayed across her cheeks, a coat of gray lipstick on her lips with azure shadows on her eyelids, white mascara on her. She had dyed her hair white today for this very purpose. And of course, they had forced her to put on neon blue contacts (since the lighter shades only managed to dull her green eyes).

The magazine in which she and Misa were doing a shoot for today wanted to emphasize something about the seasons. Of course, they came up with the "brilliant" idea of having both upcoming (though Kat refused to say it aloud) models representing a season along with two other minor models that worked for the magazine.

K all but nearly through a fit when they suggested going with a 1850s English look, (_"Ah, Tomo-chan doesn't think that would look good with my skin," She had answered, her bubbly persona making it less harsh than the words K was snarling and how Kat was innocently eyeing the lace high neck collar._) she refused the traditional geisha garb, the Chinese cheongsam that was a nice shade of powder blue but then came something that actually caught her eye.

It was something similar to what she would normally wear but with obvious differences. It was a fairly white ensemble with only light blue stitching and embroidering setting the colors apart. The bodice was sleek and made out of some sort of satin fabric, a small little "V" cut out across the top to show at least some cleavage, the skirt was fluffy and puff out a bit then splitting into feathery wisps. It was all tied together by white lace up, thigh high boots that were only a shade lighter than her own ivory skin. As soon as she had pointed it out to the set manager, he had agreed heartily.

She threw in a genuine smile and took it off the rack but was interrupted by a small woman fumbling around nervously, with massive thick framed glasses. Kat tilted her head, waiting for her to talk.

"Thank you- for picking my- costume, -Tomoe-sama," She stuttered, looking to her sneakers more than anything. Kat grinned childishly a bit before leaning in and whispering in the girl's ear. "It really is better than any of the other drab garments they tried to put on me…" She trailed off, waiting for a name.

"Oh, I'm Maria Johnson, I am studying abroad from America," she had added, eyes seeming to brighten up.

"Well, it was nice meeting the person who made such a beautiful ensemble, I shall look forward to wearing more of them in the future," It was painfully obvious that Kat was in control and being the kind and more civil of the personas.

"Tomo-chan! Hurry up1 we need to finish this by three o'clock!" Someone yelled as many stage hands all but herded Kat into a changing room.

Kat had given the set a critical eye as she stepped onto it. Snow was falling ever so softly onto the faux marble balcony. The rest was a green screen since they were going to add a picture of some random white blanketed mountain.

Kat gave many poses but remained with the sorrowful look that the director wanted, occasionally sneaking in a soft look as she half look up at the roof. They had mentioned in passing about maybe making it a full moon scene.

She quickly had to change out of her clothes and put on her fur lined parka, tube top, cargoes, massive sunglasses. She had managed to find a pair of black combat boots as well. The outfit she had on for the set in a paper bag along with a card from Maria Johnson.

Now she was practically running through dank and dark alleys, enjoying the small exert of energy as opposed to the stiff job she had imposed upon herself.

She walked in coolly into the hotel and proceeded towards the elevator, to keep up pretenses even if she loathed the machines. The ride up annoyed her, with being able to hear all the creaks and cracks and the hollow sound the thing made as it moved up the shaft. She almost gave a sigh of relief as she got out, walking towards the door of the hotel and letting herself in.

She pulled off her head band and promptly made her way over to Lawliet, snatching a chocolate truffle off of the table.

"Hello to you too, Kokoro, how was it?" Lawliet asked sarcastically.

She leapt from where she was to the couch, settling herself in. "Well, if you must know, they forced me into many a horrendous outfits before _I_ decided on hat _I_ wanted to wear. I think it will be in the issue of Eighteen magazine this time," She muttered, grabbing another random sweet off of the table. She really did not care what it was. Her philosophy on food was that, naturally, if Lawliet eats it, then it is fairly sweet, and therefore fine in her book.

"On that note, care to elaborate on the happenings thus far?" She asked, trying to mimic his tone of voice.

Lawliet, she noticed, was avoiding her eyes and person all together, preferring to dash it towards the monitors or floor instead. "We have managed to convince Light to come over to examine the Kira tapes, please do not scrutinize him too much, we do not wish to frighten him." _Translation: make sure you observe his every move inconspicuously._ K surmised.

"Oh yes, yes, I assure you I will not, however, I wonder how he should react to certain other aspects," She said, waving her hand casually. _I will make sure that he doesn't notice, what about my ears and tail?_

"Ah, surely he would be a bit surprised if he were to find out," He replied, once more avoiding her eyes. _Don't show them,_ "Maybe we should inform Watari," That last statement had nothing to do with Watari. It meant, _Maybe we should tell the task force that we wish for no one else to find out you are part cat or of your physical aspects. _

K nodded, getting up and blankly drawling on to the rest about what was to happen involving her when Light came.

The whole conversation was said in code for a reason. She had confided in Lawliet last night that her patience with the humans was wavering, and how they constantly doubted and protested to the decisions they made.

She turned on her heel and caught Lawliet's eyes. Kat tilted her head, wondering airily if her blonde wig was that disgusting. _Oh! That's what it is!_ She quickly pulled off the wig and popped out her contacts, tossing the latter into the nearest garbage can.

"Mistakes like that will get you killed idiot," K muttered, referring to Kat.

"I know, do shut up," Kat said testily, walking over back to sit next to Lawliet. Unknown to her, he had heard the entire discussion and was separating both personas out.

-

Light arrived at the door, in somewhat of a business attire. _Does he lounge around in that uncomfortable…what do the people say this day and age? Oh, in that getup? _She noted, stacking a bunch of sugar cubes along side Lawliet.

"Thank you, Yagami-kun." Lawliet said as he crossed the room.

"Not at all, Ryuga. I want to catch Kira as much as you do." Even Kat sensed the false waves of determination rolling off of him.

"Please call me Ryuuzaki here." Lawliet requested.

"I am Kokoro," She refused to get up from her perch.

"I'm Matsui."

"I'm Aihara."

"And I'm Asahi..."

"I see... then should I be 'Raito Asahi'?" Light asked.

"That would be fine. I will call you Raito-kun here." L answered.

"So the investigation team is only five members...?" Light asked, taking a look around the room furtively.

"No, we have other trusted members on the outside." Lawliet stated, turning to go back to where Kat was now sipping on a milkshake.

She silently offered him the strawberry one then continued the reply. "Among them is one that only Ryuuzaki and I can contact, but surely you can understand our reasoning, Light-kun." She said softly, holding her cup with both hands (save the thumb since she detested it) looking at the cheery on the top cross-eyed.

"Yes, that would make sense, Kokoro-san," He nodded to emphasize the fact.

"Now, how about we get right down to things?" he suggested, "Would you take a look at the evidence we've gathered, and the unreleased tape that was sent to the TV station? Understand that taking the documents out of this room or making notes is strictly prohibited."

Kat kept her eyes on him, letting her instincts take hold and noting every emotion she felt radiating off of him: disgust, fear, determination and anticipation. He watched the videos silently under the examination of both prodigies. Once the tapes were over and done with (which was approximately six deserts between Lawliet and Kat) both Kat and Lawliet simultaneously asked what Light thought of the tapes: eerily making the task force think of evil twins.

Though of course, Light ignored that and got straight to the chase. "Hm? There must be more than one person with Kira's powers.

"K-Kira's powers?! What do you mean Light?" Yagami-san asked.

"At the very least, there's a high chance that this isn't the same Kira. Up till now, Kira wouldn't use suspects like this to show he can predict their deaths." Light answered.

"It's the same..." Aizawa seemed shocked.

"Exactly the same as L... I mean Ryuuzaki's reasoning..." Matsuda agreed. Kat sighed, once more feeling left out.

"And it remains the same, I am always forgotten…what a cruel fate…" She muttered, starting on a dish of vanilla ice cream, the epitome of a sullen child.

"Yes, actually, it was Kokoro that came up with that…all on her own, she is the one that is in charge of capturing this Kira, she has already begun her investigation of a suspect," Lawliet helped her out a bit.

"Actually, the percentage is only 11 percent until I can find any concrete evidence," She pointed out, twirling her hair again.

"So you knew, Ryuga... I mean Ryuuzaki, Kokoro-san? You were testing me?" Light asked.

"It wasn't a test." Kat corrected him, "if I was the only one who came up with a second Kira theory, then it wouldn't be persuasive. With you also thinking the same thing, the theory is greatly strengthened. You really are a great help, Light-kun." _No matter how much you make me want to kill you with my own claws. _K leered viciously.

"Then it's decided." Lawliet said, "First we must stop the second Kira. He's clearly on Kira's side, and not very bright. He may respond to a message from the real Kira. If a second Kira doesn't exist then it's meaningless, but it's still worth a try. We need to be thinking about how to deal with the real Kira, but we must focus on this first."

"Impressive, Ryuuzaki." Light said, "I was just thinking that was the best option..."

"And for this, Light-kun... I want you to play the part of the real Kira!" Lawliet requested, even if it sounded more like a demand to everyone else.

"M...me?" Light asked, either he was surprised about the fact that Lawliet had said it so blatantly or that they wanted him to say anything at all to the other Kira. Kat was still unsure of which.

"Yes, it should be easy with your abilities." Lawliet answered, "We don't have much time, will you please write up a message from the real Kira that we can use during tonight's news?" They all new he was just being polite by asking.

"Matsui-san, I need a high quality 'Kira' image that will make him look real. Aihara-san, prepare the dubbing machine. Asahi-san, contact all the TV stations and reserve a ten-minute block every hour starting at seven tonight." Lawliet instructed.

"Yes."

"Understood." Came confirmations.

Kat took to a corner of the room, sitting in a corner so that she could see everybody from a better vantage point. "If you should need any help with the script, Light-kun, I could be of assistance," Kat offered silently, licking the back of her spoon.

"Sure, Kokoro-san," He said, searching around for paper and pen. Kat sighed and inched over to him, handing him the necessary materials. "Here, and I insist you drop the '-san' it unnerves me to be called as such."

A few minutes later, Light got up and showed the script, one of which Kat had not even looked at since Light was audacious enough to not even question aspects about. This only furthered her suspicion of him.

"It's very well done but... if we don't take out this 'but you can kill L' part... I'll die." Lawliet pointed out.

"_Ha ha._ Well, when I thought about it from Kira's point of view, I figured he'd definitely want L dead in this situation." Light explained, "It was just a joke, fix that up as you see fit."

Kat shook her head disbelievingly, he wanted to get away with that and it was painfully obvious.

"Yes. Aihara-san, the script is ready. Here you are." Lawliet said, handing the paper to Aizawa.

"Right." Aizawa said as he left the room.

A few hours passed of listless talking and assumptions, ones that either Kat took no part in or K shot down mercilessly, not caring if she seemed pompous.

Then the seven o'clock news came around and Kat took it upon herself to do the most _tedious_ task of turning the television on.

"_I am Kira_." A synthesized voice said if anyone was blind or something along those lines. "_I am the true Kira. And the creator of the video shown on Sakura TV is not Kira._"

"_At this time, I will show leniency to the person who claimed to be me by assuming he did it out of an attempt to help me achieve my goals. However, killing and threatening the lives of innocent police officers goes against my will. It only causes chaos and interferes with my desire for the people to understand my purpose._"

"_If the person who claimed to be me emphasizes with my goals and wishes to assist me, then I ask that they first try to understand my will. If they do not heed my warning and continue to act in this manner, then I will be forced to pass judgment on him._"

A few minutes after it ended, Kat got a call on her private cell phone. "Tomo-chan! Do you want to come over to my apartment tomorrow? Misa wants to tell you something!" The high pitch voice said enthusiastically.

Kat mouthed Misa to the task force before replying equally enthusiastically. "Uwah!" Kat glared at Lawliet and the rest as they seemed to have to stifle laughter. "Tomo-chan would _love _to go to Misa-Misa's home! When can I come over?"

"At five? That way you can stay with Misa for a long time!"

"Hmm, that sounds great, _but_," She dragged it out. "Tomo-chan needs to be home by seven!" The laughter seemed to become harder for the task force to hold in since most were turning red unlike Lawliet who was chuckling good-humoredly.

"That's fine! See you at the auditions tomorrow Tomo-chan!"

"Bye bye!" (_A/N: Which coincidentially is "Bai Bai" in Japanese, go figure)_.

As soon as Kat shut the phone, she muttered profanties under her breath. "_Damn!"_

"What's wrong?" Lawliet asked, being the polite best friend he was.

"Oh, I just _conveniently forgot_ about my audition with Misa tomorrow for some film, and she _had_ to remind me," It was obvious that the whining, snarling person was K this time since Kat actually did not mind being a model and celebrity.

**Maddy: Okay, I refuse to budge on this one, I want to reach at least 50 reviews or better before I get the next chapter out. And since I apparently will have an infinite amount of time because of Hurricane Ike and stuff, you can determine that I will at least have 16 and maybe 17 ready to put up as soon as the internet is put back on (if the power happens to go out again). So, this is my way of saying REVIEW!**


	16. Chapter 16

Kat was stone still as she thought of all the possible scenarios that could happen, not unlike when she was a child and would think of the probability of being saved.

The world could have been destroyed and something cataclysmic could have taken place, yet, to the pensive Kat it would have not even fazed her in the least. This was her method of pondering thoroughly, especially if it was important. Locking herself in a corner of her mind, far away from her physical self and making sure K was under control; a very uncouth way, but it was either that, or (she had found out rather belatedly) let K run amuck across everything, making decisions more brash then anything she would actually do if she thought it out first.

Lawliet spared her glances as he typed away on the laptop, trying to find answers on a more personal case. Both were once more situated in the bedroom of the latest hotel, a variety of sweets displayed before them with the occasional pot of coffee or tea in between.

The room, to put it frank, was a vast sea of red. One shade that made Kat twitch involuntarily at first wondering who had been murdered in the hotel to leave such a ghastly thing behind. To anyone else, it was by no means repulsive. Lavishly soft bed with satin sheets and pillows to be confused with clouds, ebony furniture to contrast the walls and floor, wrought iron bed frame with roses spread out sporadically. To her chagrin, a mirror was in place of the wall right before the bed, distracting her a good deal of the time they had been their. To put it blunt, she was right smack dab in the middle of hell. It seemed the only good thing she had said about the suite was that it was on the top floor; fitting her feline need for high places.

A desolate sigh escaped her lips, alerting him that she was out of her little state of "meditation."

"Anything specific you are researching, Ryuuzaki?" She asked, rolling forward so that her head was right above his shoulder, the spiraling scents of honey and assorted spices spiraling around her.

Strand of her now naturally colored hair brushed the sensitive area of his neck, making him want to squirm yet not…

"No, just inconsequential things," He muttered, typing different phrases into the search bar.

She pouted childishly when she felt the subtle difference around him, a very useful thing that cats were empathetic.

"You are lying, why do you not tell me? Or is it one of those absurd 'human issues?'"

"Human issue," He answered almost robotically, having recited the line with her numerous times since they were eight. He saw no point in trying to lie to her after failing once, it was preposterous to do so…with her at least: point, blank. (A/N: Don't we wish all men were like that? Not lying to you again when they know you know they are lying? Better yet, they should not lie at all)

Kat nodded, flopping backwards onto the bed with a soft "thump," swinging her tail out of the way.

Her eyes dulled a bit as she turned on her side, bell on her choker ringing with every movement she made. "Ryuuzaki, on the off chance that Misa somehow manages to…" She paused just as he gave her his full attention, unable to phrase her inquiries or ask for an opinion. "Wait, eto...what will…why…where…**kuso**…" She muttered frustrated, running a hand through her raven and silver locks.

"All of the probabilities of Amane being Kira are fairly low," He said, finger to lip, deciphering her thoughts for once before her. "On the off chance that she, indeed, is the second Kira…the chances that you will…be alive after…" He looked away from her form, typing once again. "Are nonexistent."

A solemn silence fell over both.

Kat pushed herself up with her right hand, staring at her claws blankly. "I expected it to be as such...well, I suppose I may or may not see you later, I have a soiree to get to," She muttered hollowly, unclear as to if it was Kat or K.

Ironically comical how she was wishing for death long ago, a different lifetime ago, yet now she wanted to hold onto every last thread because she had found people to help her.

-

Kat was looking at the lead male (a grotesque American with a burly frame and way too much facial hair, his name slipped her mind as far as "need to know" things.) reciting her lines with as much emotion as she a rock. She had no idea why Yoshida had told her to go to the auditions with Misa. She would certainly not be able to keep up with movie settings what with the Kira case and all personas had agreed solemnly that they would make sure to hand the part over to Misa without so much as a second thought.

After giving a cheeky smile o the director, slipping a note to him about recommending Misa more than her, she skipped along to where said blonde was waiting enthusiastically. "C'mon Tomo-chan!"

Kat walked up to her, hands fiddling with the fur lining of her black coat, "Yes, Misa-chan!"

Before she knew it, they were in the streets of Tokyo, turning this way and that towards some apartment buildings. The billowing white clouds above hid the sun for the most part, be speckling the otherwise pure blue sky. Such a pretty day for such a dreadful occurrence, how ironic, she noted, seeing all of the happy people, the main topic springing up everywhere being the fight between Kira and L, only foul words said about K.

Kat seemed a bit spaced out as she was suddenly ushered into a room by Misa. It was very plain with gothic trinkets here and there. But what spooked Kat the most, was that she had failed to notice the outline of something monstrous that had been following them. She controlled her urge to swat at it and hiss, merely taking a seat where Misa offered.

Surprisingly, the only thing Kat deemed suspicious was when Misa kept furrowing her brows at a place above her (Kat's) head, then turning and mumbling something to her self. The rest, until seven, that is, was spent watching boring romance movies in English and Japanese; discussing gossip and everything relatively girly, that is until Kat broke the ice.

"Ne, Misa-chan, what do you think about…Kira?" She asked, being rather timid with the question on purpose, as if she was an obedient girl who would be scolded for speaking of such things.

The blonde next to her seemed to mull things over, looking over her shoulder at something. Kat had the irritating urge to tilt her head or proceed with one of her more prominent reactions but repressed it, deeming it unwise to do so and reveal something that might reveal who she really was.

"Tomo-chan…Misa really trust you a lot…" She started, still looking at the blurry outline.

"And Tomo-chan trusts Misa too!" She jumped in, emphasizing the persona she had taken on in front of the model.

Misa nodded a somewhat tired smile on her lips. "Yes, I know," K huffed and puffed inside; wondering what type of burden this girl could hold that caused her to seem so damn wise when she was about five years younger than Kat.

"What if I told you…that…Misa can see your name and lifespan?" She asked, her usual enthusiasm about her again.

_I would say you were Kira_. K snarled. "Wah! That would be so cool!" _In a creepy way._

"Well, I do! And Misa-Misa supports Kira! Does Tomo-chan support Kira?" She leaned forward, only inches separating them.

Kat and K scrambled for answers. If she told her no than she would most likely end up dead, if she yes than she would be lying on the cosmic level and therefore…possibly win the Kira battle.

_I do not know if he will praise me or murder me with his own hands for this…_K muttered.

"Tomo-chan is neutral! If I see them doing bad things I will switch sides but for the most part I want peace!"

Misa looked a bit downtrodden at this but just turned to Kat and muttered very lowly, a question before the alarm Kat had set on her phone rang 6: 45; just enough time to get to the hotel. "Gah! I'm gonna be late! See you later Misa-chan!"

-

Kat tumbled into the hotel room silently, taking her seat next to Lawliet just as it seemed they popped in another Kira tape.

"_Kira, thank you for responding."_ The dubbed voice said through the screen which now displayed the hand written Kira letters. _"I will do as you say."_

"Yes!"

"Oh!"

Matsuda and Yagami-san seemed quite happy about this, but Lawliet, Light and Kat all remained silent.

"_I want to meet you, Kira. I don't think you have the eyes, but I won't kill you. Don't worry." _Kat perked up, Amane had spoken of seeing her name_. _And obviously, to see you need eyes.

"'Having the eyes...' what does that mean?" Aizawa asked.

"_Please think of a way we can meet without the police knowing."_ So Kat could just imagine Amane writing at a desk furiously, trying to figure out plans. "_We can confirm each other when we meet by showing our shinigami."_

Kat's every limb turned to lead, eyes widening. "Mreow?!" She half whispered as a loud thundering noise came from her side. Being naturally jumpy, she gave a start before seeing Lawliet on the ground. Kat got down on her knees, half supporting him as he pulled himself up even if she was smaller by comparison. Everyone in the task force including Light came to his side.

"Are you ok, Ryuuzaki...?" Matsuda asked, worried.

"Shinigami...? Are we suppose to accept the existence of such a thing...?" Lawliet asked to no one in particular.

"Shinigami? No way..." Matsuda tried to answer.

Kat lightly placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing him up gently. "D-do not be so o-obtuse, it seems almost to rival the existence of werewolves and myths…" She said, comfortingly, but Lawliet thinking it was code again got the following: _If a half-breed like me exists, than whose to say death gods do not exist?_ (not to mention she had stuttered, which never happened)

"You're right, Ryuuzaki. Shinigami can't possibly exist." Light said. Only then did Kat notice the blurry line floating above him just like with Amane. Her hands tightened unconsciously digging into Lawliet's skin. He released a small hiss of pain and Kat let go immediately, backing away from him. "Sorry."

Lawliet turned around to look at Light. "Kira also made a prisoner write something that seemed to suggest the existence of shinigami..." he said.

"Then should we assume this is the same Kira? The same person using the same word?" Yagami-san asked.

"That's not possible, Dad." Light pointed out, "If this is the same Kira, then there's not way he'd reply to our video tape. Why would Kira go along with our plan and stop L from going on TV?"

"Then the real Kira and second Kira have joined forces and are trying to confuse the investigation with the word 'shinigami'?" Aizawa suggested.

"That's also not possible." Lawliet stated, once he was on his feet he picked up his chair, "As Light-kun said, if they were working together, then they wouldn't stop their plan to kill me. The second Kira is working from his own feeling, and not Kira's ideals. It's not related to Kira's goals of 'punishing criminals to change the world and killing anyone who gets in my way.'"

"The second Kira's desire, to meet the original Kira…" Kat said, bringing her index finger to her lips and biting it.

"That's right; the second Kira isn't acting out of a sense of changing the world. He's merely interested in Kira." Light agreed, "Maybe the 'shinigami' term is describing the ability to kill? 'Confirming each other by showing our shinigami.' We could think of that as meaning that they will show each other their abilities to kill people." He suggested.

"Yes... at the very least, we know that the word 'shinigami' has some kind of meaning between the two of them. We can try to set things up in order to learn more about this." Lawliet said.

"Then we'll send another message? If we fish around too much without knowing anything, we'll reveal that we're not really Kira." Light mentioned.

"No, from now on we'll let Kira and the second Kira handle everything." Lawliet said.

"Let them...?" Aizawa wondered.

"Well, we can assume that second Kira is very happy about receiving a reply from the original…even if she knows it is from the police. She has succeeded in getting Kira's attention. And she has used terms only the two of them would understand. We will run this reply on tonight's eight o'clock news on Sakura TV. Obviously Kira must be paying attention to this back and forth between the second Kira and the one we have created." Kat explained, giving the task force the full impact of her neon eyes.

"From Kira's perspective, he would definitely want to avoid the second Kira getting apprehended by the police. Kira may start fretting about what will happen if he does not intervene. It is possible that the real Kira may send a reply next time." She concluded.

"And with these circumstances, he'd have to use Sakura TV. The internet is full of irresponsible claims about Kira and L's identity, it would be impossible to verify. And most importantly, judging from the second Kira's video message, it seems likely that he is bad with machines, and not particularly diligent. I've also been thinking about what the second Kira will do if no reply comes from Kira... the second Kira will probably release more information to the police and media that Kira wants to keep secret, in order to pressure Kira into meeting him. That would be very interesting." Lawliet added on.

"And it would be even more interesting if Kira sends a reply in order to avoid this. If that happens there's a chance we could gain some physical evidence against Kira. Closely examine every piece of mail sent to every TV station. If they do receive something from Kira or the second Kira, I will decide whether they can broadcast it or not. For now lets gather all the evidence we can on the second Kira. Lawliet finished.

Aizawa then stood up and listed many places, none of which the cat girl was listening to. Instead, she was gazing across the room, at the giant blur near Light, not hiding anything about it. "WÒde yÎnlì biànzhì ÿhuòzh yÒu méiyÒu jù xíng dì mílí zài Light zhi shàng?" (_Is my eyesight going bad, or is there a massive blur above Raito? ;_-A/N: Pinyin Chinese, try saying it, it sounds so weird, like a bunch of gibberish!)

"WÒde yÎnlì búshì xiàng nÐ Kokoro yiyàng," He responded. (_My eyesight is not as good as yours, Kokoro_.)

A few people had turned to them, hearing the weird sounds coming form their mouths and only after a few seconds recognizing it as Chinese or something of the sort.

Kat shook her head and headed for the bedroom, no matter how much she despised it, to think for a little while.

Many a questions swirled around her head as she fell unceremoniously to the bed. I need to keep my distance from Amane from now on…the probability of her being the second Kira had skyrocketed to 45 percent.

(**A/N: I apologize if this was not too good, I had lost the document and through a big fit trying to rewrite it and fingd the file all over again, note to future writers: save files in multiple places and on a very good computer instead of one retarded like mines.)**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 Chapter 17

_1st I said I wouldn't be participating in club activities during golden week but my friend called and invited me anyway._

_4th I went to Saitama Super Arena with a friend to see the Morning Musume concert._

_5th It was the last day of vacation but I just sat around the house being lazy._

_7th School has started but I just borrowed my friend's notes and skipped class._

_10th My friend invited me to go drinking but I declined. Yokohama is too far._

_13th My friend's cat threw up on me! Ew!_

_16th I forgot to do my report so I copied it off my friend._

_19th I have a new friend! Her name is in Chinese! SO weird!_

_22nd My friend and I showed off our notebooks in Aoyama._

_23rd I ran into __him __in the cafeteria. He was eating pork curry rice. My heart skipped a jump._

_24th I met a friend in Shibuya. We bought some clothes to wear this summer._

_28th I heard they're coming out with something better then the PS2 called the PSX. Wow!_

_30th We confirmed our Shinigami at the Giants game at the Tokyo Dome._

Kat looked over Lawliet's shoulder as she read it, trying to search her mind for anything that might be significant to this note. She had a feeling that the blatant "we confirmed out Shinigami at the Giants Game" was a fluke meant for anyone suspicious. So that must have meant that the rest of the note was in code as well. A frown made its way to her lips as Lawliet suddenly got up and handed the note over to Light, whom had just walked in.

_Saitama Super Arena, Yokohama, Aoyama, Shibuya and the Tokyo dome…_

"The second Kira wants us to show the diary on TV?" Light asked.

"Check the entry for the 30th." Yagami-san told him, he glanced back at the page.

K felt like shaking some sense into everyone, was she the only one whom saw the nice little distraction hiding the bigger picture?! _Idiot humans!_ Her eyes darted towards Light as she sensed him gaining more interest in the note. "What do you think, Light-kun?" She asked.

"Huh? For now... all I can say is that this person is stupid." Raito decided.

"Exactly... wanting us to broadcast this diary is obviously a message to Kira." Matsuda agreed. "Even if it is written as a diary from last year, it's clear they plan to meet with Kira at the Giants game that happens to be on the same day this year." Never had K and Kat felt the need to find something sharp and try to bring sense to people, especially the dense rookie of the task force. (_A/N: That line was for you TK101…if you catch my drift)_

"Does this mean the person can't even figure out that once we broadcast this, the game will be cancelled...?" Yagami-san asked.

"It'd be a total panic. The media would be screaming that going to the game would get you killed by Kira, and other nonsense." Matsuda agreed, nodding, most likely thinking he sounded knowledgeable for once around the two prodigies.

"Frankly, it seems idiotic but... that also makes it difficult to react to." Lawliet pointed out. "If we broadcast the diary, then we'll also have to announce that the game is cancelled. If we don't broadcast the diary, then the second Kira won't act."

"If the game is cancelled, he may get angry and do who knows what..." Aizawa argued.

"That shouldn't be a problem." Lawliet assured him, "The second Kira seems to revere Kira. Let's assume that he's sworn to the Kira we created not to kill unnecessarily anymore."

Kat's nails dug into her skin as she reached shakily for her milk. _Calming thoughts, cannot let K kill anyone. _Of course, she might have been exaggerating in her mantra. K would not kill anyone, maim perhaps, but not kill.

"Anyway, for now... lets broadcast the diary and announce the cancellation of the game. And also, that we'll be closing off the streets around the Tokyo Dome and conducting an investigation there. We received so much police cooperation during that Sakura TV incident, I believe we could manage that." He announced. "Then we'll create a reply from the 'real' Kira saying 'understood, let's meet.'"

"You're not thinking they'd come after it's announced there will be police presence around the Tokyo Dome?" Yagami-san asked.

"I don't think Kira will come, but... I'm not sure about the second Kira. I don't know how stupid he is..."

K had had enough. "Really though, am I the only one competent enough to think there is a second message? One meant for Kira? Or has everyone noticed that someone with Kira's powers cannot be so dimwitted as to very obviously point out a meeting point?" She grounded her teeth.

"Though I am sure someone might claim this is a waste of time but, should we not keep an eye on Shibuya and Aoyama?"

"It sounds plausible; we can set the cameras up tomorrow." He gave her a knowing glance; of course he would leave Watari, her and whatever team of miscreants she could get to install cameras into half of Tokyo. "And we should place as many plain clothed police officers on the street."

"We're already announcing that we'll be 'investigating' the Tokyo Dome... I don't think they'll have any problems if we question people, no even if we take fingerprints. If he's so stupid that he plans to come, knowing of the police presence and prepared to kill in order to see Kira, then we'll catch him easily..." Lawliet said.

"'Catch him easily.'...? But there will be victims..." Matsuda complained. _**CRACK! **_"Ow."

Turning to K, everyone in the task force noticed the shard scattered around K and the ones on her hand. She had lodged a few sharp objects into her palm and all she could mutter was _'ow_?'

"Please excuse me, it simply is just a bit irritating to know how little those supposedly 'wiser in years' know."

In a huff, she rose to her feet, making her way across back to the bedroom. She seemed to be finding herself in their more than usual. Before she got the chance to enter though, a strange beeping noise came from the table.

Naturally, Lawliet got to it first, with K frozen in the doorway.

A moments pause then Lawliet said, "Misa wants to meet you in some place called Aoi Noto," He said plainly, placing her phone back on the table.

K held in a small hiss, being with Misa would certainly put her at ends in no time.

Kat did nothing but nod as she went into the room, waving her non-bloody hand at the task force.

Needless to say that as soon as the door closed, Kat felt winded. She crashed to the floor. The question that Misa had asked her previously running through her head.

"_Tomo-chan, how come your name keeps changing? Or is it Kat?" _

Giving the air one good punch, she snatched a handkerchief off of the dresser, tying it around her hand tightly.

She was completely sure Misa was Kira. That diary entry was screaming at her. They were all subtle hints at who she really was.

_4th I went to Saitama Super Arena with a friend to see the Morning Musume concert: _Iida Kaori, the former member of Morning Musume.

_13th My friend's cat threw up on me! Ew!: _She knew she was Kat.

_23rd I ran into __him __in the cafeteria. He was eating pork curry rice. My heart skipped a jump: _heart, Kokoro, she knew her alias.

_19th I have a new friend! Her name is in Chinese! SO weird!: _Worst of all, she knew her real name. Kew, was Chinese for Loveable.

Muttering curses, K just decided to glare at the ceiling to see if she could burn a hole into it by some chance.

_But how does she know all of this? I never left a trail behind myself, never let any other of my personas take hold save for mentally…_

…………………

_That is it! Somehow, in some way, she was able to see and identify my personas as we argued about! And it fits with the whole "the eyes" phrase in the tapes. She saw my names. But why were they flashing? Ukita had an alias as well so it cannot be that, seeing how he was killed. There are barely any real large factors that separate me from the rest of the victims save that I am not truly a criminal, have declared war along side Lawliet…_

-

She shifted in her clothes, not to fond of the ripped up jeans and hoodie combo Misa had told her to wear. Not that she was at all happy with the plain brunette wig, sunglasses and contacts either. Apparently, Misa wanted to go incognito so that they would not be assaulted by avid fans.

The loose strings bothered her; the hoodie drowned her figure but was comfortable. That, and she had stolen Lawliet's torn tennis shoes (a few sizes to big, she noted with a grimace).

The task force was going to come later on, for now, she had asked Watari to drop her off at the "Note Blue" (since she was directionally challenged if it did not directly relate to missions). Lawliet had then said he would accompany them.

The ride their was certainly silent as Kat moodily put her hair in a bun, the bangs swinging into her face and over her large, fly-like sunglasses.

"_Wèishénme tā yīdìng shì hěn huāngmiù de…shéi tīngshuō li__ǎ__o ji__ǎ__zhuāng qù yī gè kāfēi dìfāng?_" She asked nobody, looking out the window when she was done. _(__Why must she be so absurd...who ever heard of disguising yourself to go to a damn coffee place?) _

Lawliet gave her a glance upon noticing that they had arrived.

As she climbed out of the car and was ready to close the door, she heard a soft, "Be safe."

"Dun 'orry, I gots the righ' stu' ta do dis," She said, clouding her voice in an accent.

The car drove away and she gave it a forlorn glance before entering the café and spotting Misa at a table, the blur above her. She made her way over to her, a scowl on her face. "'ey, I gots 'ere a'ready."

She adjusted her glasses and nodded, pushing some sort of giant chocolate milkshake towards her. It seemed that it would be an overall boring day.

A good few hours passed when she noticed two familiar figures passed by the café. Slight scratching reached her ears as a constricting feeling hit her chest. Standing, she wobbled a bit, "I-I got to go."

Crimson dribbled down her chin as she took off blindly, letting her instincts lead her to the hotel.

-

Lawliet looked questioningly at the footage, rewinding and pausing it at the part where a blurred figure took off madly form the note blue almost drunkenly.

He had only been able to notice it now, just as gagging and a mess of coughing reached his ears.

**A/N: Shorter than usual, I know, but the next spot to stop it at was very far away and I simply had a bout of idleness. Please ****Review****, it encourages me to put these out faster. **


	18. Chapter 18

Poems for L Lawliet and Kew (Kat) Keikan

**Poems for L Lawliet and Kew (Kat) Keikan**

**Heart **

_Heart tightened,_

_Something he'd never_

_Felt before;_

_Sudden painful_

_Realization_

_Came with the disaster._

_He wished with all his_

_Heart_

_For good to come_

_He needed it:_

_He needed_

_Her._

**Plummet**

_Fainting, falling away_

_Of what she'd _

_Come to enjoy;_

_Falling away from_

_All hope._

_Falling away from him:_

_He caught her_

_Saved her—_

_Too late._

_Poems by "Murasaki-hime" (Purple Princess)_

_**A/N: Warning, OOCness might occur. **_

_**Recap:**_

_A good few hours passed when she noticed two familiar figures passed by the café. Slight scratching reached her ears as a constricting feeling hit her chest. Standing, she wobbled a bit, "I-I got to go."_

_Crimson dribbled down her chin as she took off blindly, letting her instincts lead her to the hotel._

_-_

_Lawliet looked questioningly at the footage, rewinding and pausing it at the part where a blurred figure took off madly form the note blue almost drunkenly. _

_He had only been able to notice it now, just as gagging and a mess of coughing reached his ears. _

_**--**_

Lawliet dashed over to Kat, just as she started to wobble, softly pulling her wig off. She was rasping something in between her hoarse mewling and meowing. A distressed and painful sound that made everyone cringe.

He caught her awkwardly, quickly moving his arms so that they would not land anywhere inappropriate. A soft stream of crimson dribbled down her chin, the pungent coppery smell suffocating her. Trailing down her face were tears, accentuating her puffy eyes. The pain was scathing, agonizing and so much more real than anything she had ever felt before. As if some unseen force was stomping relentlessly on her ribs with building pressure.

Her eyes, even hidden behind muddy colored contacts, were pleading him for help as the color faded from her cheeks.

The task force watched on in silent horror; it seemed like a scene from a terror film. The way her _real_ hair was sticking to her face and neck, how her arms were wrapped tightly around his own, and most definitely how he looked at her with _actual _emotion in his eyes.

She gave one last shudder, one final gasp…then she fell limp against Lawliet.

It was silent, the façade he had built up until that point breaking slowly.

Soundless, hollow and vacant it became as he tightened his arms around her. _Please don't die, please Kat. _He thought, flashes of a broken girl lying in a musty and dark basement swimming up to his eyes.

The quiet was unsettling, especially with only the hum of the air conditioning unit in the background. Noiseless tears rolled down his face, unseen by every one else as he gently dug his face in her hair, wondering lamely why everything seemed to fade before his eyes.

The task force filed out of the hotel suite solemnly, knowing it was not their place to witness something so personal.

As he sat there pathetically, embracing what most likely was a corpse, he could not help but think of how completely disgusted he was with himself. He should have anticipated this! He should have been able to tell that it was not safe for Amane to run around with Kat! But a listless tone in the back of his head mutely noted that her days had been numbered since her birth, DNA being crossed with a cat.

_The flashes and sirens from the Russian operatives' automobiles were exasperatingly vociferous, they were trying to retrieve her, not wake up the whole city. _

_As soon as they deemed it safe to enter the crude inhabitance, Lawliet sprinted across the snow laden ground, puffs of exhalation visible with every huff he gave. He had been antsy ever since he had heard that Kat was once more in an unfavorable position, and all those around him had noticed. The cold boy they had gotten, the one that had been abused and mistreated in so many ways and beyond, had finally become attached to something again, brought himself to care for the naïve girl that had been placed as his roommate for the past few years. _

_The bastards that had so gallingly taken Kat away were tied up, gagged and ready to be shipped off to the nearest maximum security penitentiary center to be put in the psychiatric ward for treating a child so repugnantly. _

_The operatives yelled at the pre-teen as he ran in circles through the warehouse-like structure, telling him to get out in Russian. But he paid no heed to them, only one goal in mind. _

_He had scoured the premises everywhere…save for the one corridor he was standing in. No windows, no lamps no nothing. Just the musty smell of what he assumed was mildew and a revolting scent of decomposing flesh. The rancid odor was so concentrated that he had to slap his hand to his mouth and nose as bile rose up to his mouth. Swallowing, he pushed down his slight fears of what he would find in the room and pushed the door open with the light from the flashlights of the agents. _

_A coughing fit overcame him as enough light filtered into the room for him to see the carcasses lying around the room. The urge to vomit became to much as he fell to his knees, heaving up all of the sweets he had eaten that day. _

_Slowly, he got back onto his feet, scanning through the bodies with even more panic than anything. _

_Then he saw the painfully familiar hand, though nearly mutilated beyond recognition and in rusty handcuffs, reaching for a shard of glass. The figure seemed to freeze as Lawliet ran over to it, immediately noticing the gray sprinkled raven head anywhere. _

_He ran, as if possessed, towards her, crashing next to her and pulling her into a careful embrace, aware of how battered she looked. _

_He could sense her flickering away, the glass shard must have been only to make sure she would die. _

"_Don't die, Kat," He muttered, pulling her closer to him._

The situation from then and now was terribly similar. Save for the fact that there was no carnage surrounding them, no ghoulishly lifeless eyes staring at them, and the fact that they were adults also rang a bell.

But a sound he had been painfully frightened by since he was seven, one he thought he would never want to hear, rattled in his ears.

_The dark was overwhelming…Misa had done something. She had been writing something, whispered to the blur behind her then scratched something on a piece of paper. Was that some sort of code for her killing method? Did she somehow find out how she looked and her real name? _

_Kat wandered aimlessly through the corridors before she found herself straight in front of a steel wall with dark barrels staring her in the face. It was a distant yet clear memory that haunted her even in the light. _

_Tensing her muscles, she twisted out of the way of the first shot, seeing it before the loud bang reached her sensitive ears. Time seemed infinite as she dodge, minding not when it changed into multiple shards. She seemed desensitized to it all. It did not faze her in the least to have random projectiles sent hurtling her way even if it would leave her ears ringing for hours later. _

_Then they switched to the real test. It was a truly revolting one. _

_They placed a human across from her and they put something in them, a syringe filled with a green serum. They all seemed to turn just as feline as her and give her a curious look, before the heinous people would put another thing into them which would make them loose their tempers. _

_Kat would wince, letting herself get hurt until one of her alternate personalities, someone who she only knew took on a much mentally older persona, started fighting back, lashing like a crazy and in the end, managing to make it so that the person was barely recognizable. _

"_Subject K02257496 of the Scientifically Engineered Female Feline Unit, stage 1, has been the one with the most progress, K549684 perished, K527432 was less apt with dodging, developed a growing defect, terminated, K2874631 was an outstanding genius but had no physical aptitude, subject was terminated. Obvious, K02257496 has been the most successful, with further research; we may be able to see how this specimen lives out her life and adapts to changes. The perfect body guard for a human."_

Her whimper had startling effects on him.

-

He had given the "Okay" to the task force as soon as he had lifted up her nearly weightless form and settled her in the bed, trying to keep his thoughts away from his best friend of fifteen years.

-

Nothing truly eventful happened after the thirtieth; it seemed the game had been canceled for naught. Kat had remained under what Watari said was a comatose state, and the task force kept trying to come up with theories, with the ever naïve Matsuda spewing out improbable and implausible things.

-

The night was beautiful, the moon shining in all its glory, the room was bathed in an ethereal glow.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly. Cautiously, she took a breath, mentally steadying herself for any pain. But nothing came. It was dark, but she managed to look through all the shadows and realize she was in the trite crimson room. For once, she did not feel all too eager to get up and exert energy. She felt tired, immensely so, in fact. Kat placed her hands on her stomach, eyes staring at the ceiling as a human crept into the room.

Her attention turned to it, they were lithe and graceful in the dark, for a human, and she was thoroughly impressed.

She gave a smile of recognition at the mussed up mane of hair and the familiar posture.

"Hi, Lawliet," She whispered childishly, ears perking up.

He froze dead in his tracks, turning slowly to look into the chillingly naïve emerald optics. "Hello, Kat," he mumbled, bringing his thumb to his lips, unsure of which persona was in control.

She pouted, brows furrowing. "Silly, I'm Kitten or Kit, but _shush!_ Misa doesn't know that about me!"

A pause.

_Another persona? How did this one develop? _He thought calmly, but was the most odd about the persona, was that it lacked the common sense that the rest had (albeit, K ran more on instinct and Kat was naïve yet genius). This one seemed to immature to even qualify with the rest, but that irrepressible glint in the eyes, the spark of life mixed with loneliness hidden behind green orbs (Watari had taken it upon himself to change her and get her contacts out, to Lawliet's relief)was ever present. 

Kit tilted her head slightly, why was he so deep in thought? Was he not happy that she was awake?

Voices whispered in her mind, one shouting bouts of vulgarisms, one trying to maintain her cool the other simply reprimanding her a lot.

"But I don't want to go back in," She complained silently, crossing her arms. "You guys never let me back out!"

Lawliet snapped his head around to her, eyes wide. She could interact with the other personas while in conscious control of the body?

"Oh fine! But I want to come out sooner or later!"

It was a dramatic change as her posture became a bit more rigid and a somewhat dark cloud flooded her eyes.

"Sorry, Kitten is hard to manage what with being so mentally young," She murmured.

_This one must be Kat, but with her personas oscillating so much, it is becoming steadily harder to figure out which one is which. _

"What are you thinking about, Ryuuzaki?" She asked quietly, seemingly glowing eyes centering on him.

"Ah nothing of importance," He rambled off, dismissing her question. Her ears went slightly flat against her head, disappointment shimmering behind her eyes. Since when had Lawliet taken to compulsively lie to her? Was she not his 'friend' anymore?

But what Kat did not realize that it was something more conflicting all together. The detective sat down on the bed, pulling the laptop on the desk towards himself. He had been researching for sometime about why he suddenly felt like this and when he was teen, that was there too.

"That" being the odd feeling that he got when he saw Kat. At first, he labeled it his sisterly affection towards her (having no siblings, it took a while for that conclusion to come out) but now he comprehended that it was certainly not. Everything she did seemed to start to hinder his deductive reasoning and replace it with worry and such, but he was unsure if Kat felt the same way.

He understood that Kat was very much oblivious to human emotions but it an enigma to him, whether or not the inquisitive feline girl was more in tune to her cat side or her human side. That remained to be a mystery, the multiple personalities contradictory with his inferences.

All Kat did was remain blank, refusing to move from her place as she stared blankly out the window now, neon eyes cornering over to Lawliet. It was…uncomfortable, to think that Lawliet had suddenly started feeding so many fibs to her.

All was quiet and solemn, both geniuses pondering about two very contrary topics.

A few minutes later, a wave of fatigue hit Kat and she slowly nodded off to sleep.

Lawliet looked at her after an hour, only barely hearing the slight pur she made as she breathed in and out.


	19. Chapter 19

**Death Note (c) Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata**

**Why Do Cats Sulk? (c) Arline Bleecker**

Recap:

_But what Kat did not realize that it was something more conflicting all together. The detective sat down on the bed, pulling the laptop on the desk towards himself. He had been researching for sometime about why he suddenly felt like this and when he was teen, that was there too._

"_That" being the odd feeling that he got when he saw Kat. At first, he labeled it his sisterly affection towards her (having no siblings, it took a while for that conclusion to come out) but now he comprehended that it was certainly not. Everything she did seemed to start to hinder his deductive reasoning and replace it with worry and such, but he was unsure if Kat felt the same way._

_He understood that Kat was very much oblivious to human emotions but it an enigma to him, whether or not the inquisitive feline girl was more in tune to her cat side or her human side. That remained to be a mystery, the multiple personalities contradictory with his inferences._

_All Kat did was remain blank, refusing to move from her place as she stared blankly out the window now, neon eyes cornering over to Lawliet. It was…uncomfortable, to think that Lawliet had suddenly started feeding so many fibs to her._

_All was quiet and solemn, both geniuses pondering about two very contrary topics._

_A few minutes later, a wave of fatigue hit Kat and she slowly nodded off to sleep._

_Lawliet looked at her after an hour, only barely hearing the slight pur she made as she breathed in and out._

**_Chapter 19_**

Her eyes fluttered open, the alien feeling of grogginess over taking her. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up, acutely aware of her raven haired companion's presence in the atrociously scarlet room.

"Good morning, Ryuuzaki," She said, the usual quiet tone in her voice more airy and light than usual.

Lawliet merely, gave her a curt "morning" before returning to his 'research.' (_a/n: my, oh my, that sounds perverted! ;p) _He was still confused, almost to the point where he had resorted to researching the personalities, body language and mind of cats through a draft of some book called "Why Do Cats Sulk?"

He found it almost uncanny how accurate the information was. It clearly explained why Kat seemed to shy away from compliments and tended to find those that were indifferent to her; it seemed that it was natural for a cat to feel insecure when being praised and therefore heads for the person that is not complimenting and or complaining about her. (It certainly explained why she had run to Lawliet instead of any of the adults when they were younger!)

Some of it was completely disgusting, the fact that female cats ovulated only when mating. But he had to admit, he was thankful that he needed not to worry about her swinging from mood to mood just about as much as she tended to switch personas, not to mention that the sanitary pads and "tampons" advertised on television simply revolted him to no end. He had no intention of ever going near them as long as he was the top three detectives in the world!

And, on occasion, he came upon something interesting like the part that said, word for word:

**Why does catnip flip out your cat?**

**When your cat sniffs catnip, that wacky, day-dreamy state she immediately enters is actually a response to the herb's powerful chemical, transnepetalactone. It's almost identical to the essence excreted by the female cat, which is why tom-cats are said to love catnip the most. However, this doesn't explain why females love it.**

**Once, catnip was thought to be an aphrodisiac, but scientific tests squelched that theory. (By the way, cats aren't attracted to it until they're at least two months old.)**

**If you're out of catnip and kitty's got a craving for the stuff, look in your spice rack. The herb, valerian, will give cats that same sense of ecstasy. Valerian is a mild stimulant and, though it doesn't do any harm, it shouldn't be offered to cats with kidney ailments.**

**Both catnip and valerian produce ecstasy through the odor, not the taste.**

He pondered over cats reaction to asking Watari to buy some of those cat toys that had catnip inside, the outcome practically playing before his eyes.

_-Kat runs into the room, huffing slightly from the urgency in Lawliet's words when he told her to come. She would wonder frantically why he was so adamant in her presence, asking what was wrong before the smell slowly wafted over to her. She would freeze, and then turn her neon eyes to the toy mouse hanging from a string that was attached to a pole. The thing would have gray fabric with yarn for eyes and a pink tail. At least, that is how he envisioned it. _

_She would freeze momentarily, then, in an instant, pounced, pawing the air for the mouse as he pupils dilated wildly from the ecstasy caused by the catnip. _

_She would then run around in a trance like state, pouting adorably and complaining slightly when Lawliet would make the task of retrieving the mouse impossible. _

_He would then pull it over his head, she would tackle him to the floor, and they would be lying on the ground, staring at each other awkwardly and…-_

_Where the __**bloody hell**__ did that __**come**__ from?_ He asked himself, (a/n: incredibly smexy and yummy) British accent leaking through his thoughts.

Kat gave him a queer glance, wondering why Lawliet seemed to be battling with himself according to his eyes.

Though her attention quickly shifted as the wonderfully decadent smell of syrup and sweet bread came to her, mouth watering at the prospect of slathering one of the edible disks with syrup, jam and anything she could get her hands on.

Mr. Wammy, of course, chose to amble in at that moment, holding an exaggerated stack of pancakes on a plate.

It was almost too easy for both geniuses to divert their interests towards the sugary breakfast being brought to them. And, ironically, it was then that both their stomachs chose to voice their opinions in the form of growling.

Kat turned to Lawliet, head tilted. "You, L Lawliet," She pointed to him, exaggerating her point. "Are hungry when you eat every few seconds?"

This revelation came to her since he usually was _not_ hungry because of his sweet fetish, always eating…_But then, technically, it is a moot point. _

"Since you decided to bloody go comatose for days on end, Kat," He muttered, eagerly taking the plate and stuffing a pancake in his mouth as is. Kat held in a giggle, he resembled so much like a squirrel or chipmunk!

She dug into the pancakes her self, daintily taking a bite out of her own breakfast. "Mm. thank you Watari, delicious as always!" She swallowed than beamed at him, flashing all her pearly whites.

He gave her a nod. "You welcome, Kokoro, but might I suggest something for today? Perhaps it would be prudent if you took a break from the case?"

Kat paused, looking at the ceiling in sincere contemplation. Lawliet was actually already nodding in approval of the proposition.

"That seems…improbable," She stated bluntly, resuming the consumption of the pancakes, taking a sip of her milk.

Lawliet was unshakeable as he gave her an even stare, setting his food down (an amazing feat in itself) and leaning forward in his precarious position to look Kat straight in the eyes. "And why might it be improbable?"

Mr. Wammy just stood by, looking at them both with indifference even if he, too, wanted to hear her out.

"Well, even if I do take a break, which is a confusing phrase by the way, no, Ryuuzaki, I know that it means a period of rest between things." She stopped him right before he opened his mouth. "What I meant by 'improbable' is that I tend to orient myself around you two, however depressing it may sound, both of you are some of the only persons worth conversing with and whom will speak to me with intelligence. And not thinking of the case is impossible. If I do not think of it then my mind will most likely turn down more painful avenues or try and work out the whole mess that is the Kira case all by myself."

She looked irate for a moment, tilting her head as if listening to someone. "Yes, yes, I know that already Kit, please stop rambling, you are going to give me a headache," She muttered, placing a hand on her forehead as if to prove it to the little voice. "Oh, _damn!_ Quit yelling, I can _bloody_ well hear you _fine_, K!" Kat seemed to be losing her temper, something that did not happen very often…usually it was K.

Lawliet placed his thumb to his lips, a small grin trying to burst through. Of course, that side of him that was utterly confused chose to think she looked so delightfully charming when her garbled accent spilled from her own lips.

"Oh fine! Just quit breathing down my goddamn neck!...Huh? What?! That is completely unfair! K says it all the time! And I am twenty five!...What? Oh sure! Just rub it in why do you not!" She huffed, crossing her arms.

A long silence ensued, in which a look of mild tranquility filled Kat up.

"What was that?" Lawliet asked bluntly, unconsciously letting his legs drop from his signature thinking pose.

Kat flopped backwards onto the bed, folding her hands over her exposed stomach. "Just K, Kew and Kitten deciding to simultaneously mentally assault me because I was going to confine them inside again…sometimes I do not understand them…I am in my teens for god's sake." She muttered the last part so low that Lawliet missed it.

"They apparently think I should either go out with Maria Johnson or some other 'productive' way to spend my time. Kitten even piped in saying she wanted to go to the zoo of all places…" She muttered darkly, glaring at the ceiling in contempt.

"Well, I suppose they would like to actually breathe fresh air for something other than the purpose of tracking a criminal down or spying…" Lawliet added helpfully, averting his eyes away from her porcelain stomach, hair falling into his eyes so that you could not see how they were closing tightly.

"You misconstrue my meaning, I simply was trying to say that chances are, wherever I go, I either will be thinking of the case or fretting because I have no idea if one of my many enemies chooses to throw the door down and massacre two of the only humans I care about in the world, and K is just giving me an earful about sounding corny and sappy…what does sappy mean? Oh, oh! That. My… do not scream at me, is it my fault we never learned a few things and you tend to memorize the dictionary more than me? Oh, jump off a cliff…I am aware that that would be suicide! Do not ridicule me! Shut up!"

More silence, then Kat smacked her hand over her eyes, a string of vibrant vulgarisms flowing from her lips.

"We have come to an understanding it seems…I go out and do _some_ sort of recreational activity they all enjoy after we apprehend Amane for trying to kill us…assuming we have enough evidence other than her rather obviously failing at murdering me…" Her voice trailed off near the end, she took a deep breath, the feeling of being watch spreading over her. She did not mind, anyone that was foolish enough to be stalking her would most likely end up locked up in a padded cell courtesy of Lawliet and K.

She remained silent for the remainder, listening only when Lawliet asked when the Task Force was arriving. Watari soon left the room and only the two of them were left in the room, a strange tension building.

Lawliet was once again faced with the discomforting fact that he was beginning to feel so odd towards his naïve companion. But he soon, he was confronted with two big neon eyes, warm breaths hitting his face. He was startled, so much so that he practically fell back on the bed, unbalancing it and causing her to come tumbling down with him.

Her hands, though small and seemingly impossibly used for fighting, hand bumped into his chest, knocking the wind out of him consequentially.

She sighed, settling her head on his chest, not allowing him to get up or breathe. "This is what happens when you lie to me so much."

He shifted, "Um, Kat? Do you mind getting off?" _Even if I do not mind…but she most likely does not know the connotations related to such an act as she is exhibiting right now…_

"No, frankly, this is completely fine with me…" She nuzzled her head into his shirt, her warm breath going straight through his shirt and to his chest. He placed a hand on her back, keeping her there and contradicting what he was asking earlier. _Just best friends…_

"_Are_ you going to tell me about what you were lying about or will I remain in the dark?" She asked, clenching her hand slightly, noting that she was puny compared to Lawliet, even if she was only three inches shorted, she was certainly slimmer, to the extent that it was almost comical.

"Hmm, I was just researching ways to explain topics to you…I really do not know why I refused to tell you…" He admitted. It was a half lie, but she seemed to accept it, flashing him a brilliant smile.

-

Kat watched the task force from a small distance away, not wanting to see the outcome of Kit possibly coming out and hitting the task force full with her childish banters. Her ears were completely out, twitching when anyone talked.

"Hair," Lawliet stated as he examined one of the many small bags of physical evidence on the table in the hotel room.

"Snack crumbs," He said, holding up another bag. "Yagami-san." he said flatly, as he examined the bag. "If I die in the next few days, your son is Kira." K flinched, she was sure that a blind mutt had more tact than that. "More hair."

"Huh?! What are you saying all of a sudden, Ryuuzaki?" Yagami-san asked in shock.

"If I die, I'm counting on you to keep things together. You can use Watari as you wish." Once more, Kat flinched. "Kokoro might be a different case all together, she might go off on her own." That apparently was to soother Kat. Which it did. "If I die, the only one who will be able to get anything from Kira, meaning Raito-kun, will be you," He said to Yagami-san.

"Ryuuzaki... when my son is here you state that he's mostly been cleared... just how deeply do you suspect him?! Give it to me straight!" Yagami-san demanded.

"Even I... don't know how I truly feel. This has never happened before... if Kira and the second Kira are now working together... I'm in big trouble. So it may be possible that I'm no longer able to think things through calmly." Lawliet said. A sense of mourning. She doubted that he was so ready to die for any purpose as she was. In her eyes, death was just what would end her misery; he actually had something to live for other than his acquaintances.

"It's a fact that my suspicion of your son is logically a very low percentage. And I may be insistent because there's just no other suspect... even so... if I'm killed now…then assume that your son is Kira_. _I will have Watari do the same." Lawliet ordered.

And of course, thus began everything…


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The plan was completely obscure to Kat, and when she verbally expressed her questions, K took over and forced a smile out, all the more to make her part convincing.

The "Tomo-chan" get-up was out and K was about ready to put a switchblade to anyone's throat. Being clad in the clothing she had gotten at one of the photo shoots, the white and blue number, really did not help her state of mind at all. And when she began envisioning murdering a whole flock of humans, Kat took over, determined to do a good job.

So now, she was sauntering next to Lawliet, multiple scenarios filling her head.

Prior to getting in character, she had researched everything that could help the whole charade they were putting up. Among the scenarios was one where Misa thought that she, Kat, was dead from somehow attempting to kill her…Or Light had informed Misa that Kat was alive…either of those meant that they would be flaunting the fact that however they were killing did not effect Kat…

The possibilities were endless, and Kat (including the rest of the personas and host) felt as if they were taking a risk, however unlike all those other times she did something outrageously rash, this just made her feel a bit slimy…

So deep in thought she was that she did not notice that Lawliet had pulled her by the elbow to sit down, and was now flipping through a book that held the top students at the University.

Lawliet gave her a glance through the Corner of his eyes when he saw her eyes turning the vibrant blue that pertained to her persona, seeing the slits of her eyes narrow because the sun was at its highest point.

"Hm, act like any other couple Ryuga, and whatever you do, don't laugh if I start acting like Near when he got into Mello's chocolate stash…" She whispered a faux smile already in place.

Lawliet nodded before turning around, looking up, a similar façade of happiness lighting up his face. He waved his hand in the air, "Hey light!" Kat nudged her elbow into his ribs, a cue to tell him to lay off on the acting. "How's it going?" That was more like it, with the relaxed and taunting tenor he usually used.

Kat's ears ruffled underneath her hair, listening in on Light's conversation. "Kiyomi…can we continue this later? I need a moment alone with them."

"Uh, okay." She gazed longingly at him as he began to walk away.

_Kiyomi Takada, Miss To-oh…it is an interesting mate that he has picked out there…_K mused suspiciously.

"I hope she's not upset," He asked, it was clear he truly did not care for the girl.

"Never mind that. Is it okay for you to be here? Didn't you say you were afraid to appear in public?" He asked, making a small gesture with his hand. The slight confusion in his eye when he looked at Kat did not go unnoticed by the female.

"I did, but then I realized that as long as your not Kira I should be safe. The fact is, you're the only one on the outside that knows me as L. In the unlikely event that I die in the next few days, I have informed your father and everyone else at headquarters to assume you _are_ Kira." He quipped as if it was completely obvious to all.

Light gasped.

"Besides, you told me yourself that you missed having me around at school so I figured why not come back for a little…change of pace. As long as it doesn't kill me," He said the last part in a dark tone. "College is a lot of fun."

"Yup! Modeling doesn't compare to actually using your brain…" Kat mentioned, putting a finger up in the air.

"I have to admit, without you two around, an intelligent conversation is hard to come by."

"I see, luckily Kiyomi is there to fill the void," Lawliet retorted.

"Well, something like that," He said. Then a chill went down Kat's spine, the blur that was at Light's side seemed to shake a bit and she heard a ghost of a laugh coming from the space.

Lawliet climbed down from the bench, putting on his sneakers, "Hey, do you want to have some cake in the cafeteria?"

"Sure I have a break now, anyhow," He said, already walking. Kat and Lawliet strolled leisurely behind him. "Hm, that's perfect, I'm kinda craving shortcake right now."

"Well, let's hope they have it."

"Light, there you are!" An annoyingly familiar voice yelled, the soft thumps of running reverberating in Kat's ears. "I had a photo shoot nearby so I thought I'd come and see you!" Kat instinctively hid behind Lawliet (even if it was not much seeing as she was only three inches smaller than him…though compared to Misa's four foot nine inches, Kat was ten inches taller than the girl). "Oh this must be one of your friends!" She walked towards Lawliet. "you look so different, unique."

A happy light came to the Kira suspects eyes, Kat could only assume he had somehow came to an astounding revelation.

"Hello, there, I'm Amane Misa, Light's girlfriend!"

Lawliet blinked a few times, "I'm Hideki Ryuga," Kat chose then to jump in. "Yup! This is Tomo's boyfriend Misa-chan! Isn't he cute?!" She asked getting up in her face but only so that Light intercepted.

"Yeah, he has the same first and last name as that famous idol, pretty bizarre huh?"

Lawliet started laughing a bit, causing Light to give him a skeptic glare. "Light, you are a lucky guy," They both seemed taken aback. "I have been a huge fan of yours ever since Tomo introduced me to Eighteen Magazine."

"What?! Really?! That's so sweet of you both!"

"Yup! That's my Ryuga!" Kat exclaimed, giving Lawliet a quick hug, letting go quickly when a jolt of electricity ran the course of her body.

"Oh my god! Is that girl Misa-Misa?"

"Yeah! Your right! And the other one is Tomo-chan!"

K suppressed a sneer of triumph; everything was playing into their hand. Flocks of people surrounded both Kat and Misa, the feline girl was scratching the back of her head, answering the questions that were shot at her while Misa was sincerely modest.

"Oh my god! Somebody just touched my butt!" Misa exclaimed, a startled Lawliet behind her.

"Uh…This is an outrage! Uh, taking advantage of such a situation is unforgiveable!" He pointed at her. "I will find whoever is responsible for this."

Misa merely giggled, putting her hands to cover her mouth, "Oh Ryuga, you're so funny!"

Then a stern woman in a business suit walked into the flock, calling Misa's name. "Misa! It's time! Or are you planning to be late again?"

"N-no, I'm sorry Yoshi," She stuttered.

"Ah! Hello Yoshi-san, I'll see you a later time, right?" Kat asked from Lawliet's side.

"Hm, oh, hello Tomo-chan, yes, we will see you." And with that, she hauled Misa away.

She turned around, "Bye Light! See you later!"

When everyone had left Lawliet casually turned to Light, Kat having disappeared. "Well then, let's go."

"Actually, could you go on ahead? I need to use the restroom."

"Oh, okay then, I'll see you there." Lawliet walked on.

-

Kat followed Misa and Yoshida through the shadows, making sure that all her motions were silent. The blur behind Misa kept on moving, causing Kat to want to rub her eyes.

Just as they turned a corner, Kat put her hand up to her ear where a hidden miniature headset was, the latest piece of technology from Mr. Wammy. "Subject has turned the corner! Apprehend and keep in tact! I repeat! Keep subject _in tact!_ We need her conscious for the interrogation!"

"Affirmative, Kokoro-dono," The voice of the commanding leader sounded in her ears. Kat scaled the side of a building, looking over the edge, watching as Amane was tied up and flinching when Yoshida was knocked out and the blonde female was read her charges.

She shook her head, pulling out her cell phone and calling Lawliet's phone. She frowned as it rang a few times.

"_Yes?"_

"Mission accomplished," she stated simply, jumping down onto the pavement.

"_Yes, I see, so it's done then?"_

"Of course, we apprehended her, captured, I am on my way to the other car as we speak."

_"I understand."_

-

Kat frowned at the girl held in the confinement room, how could someone like this be so villainous and obscenely oblivious as to kill in the name of someone she was most likely stalking?

The feline girl leaned back in her chair, hand twirling her hair furiously.

Watari was standing right next to her, making sure the communicating devices were operational. They were currently residing in one of the many estates that Kat had in her possession from persecuting a mafia leader. It was very modestly a small secluded mansion with quite a few rooms and a few acres of forest on all sides. The room that she was in was completely blue and resembling much the dorm they had back at the orphanage save the beds. Yet, Kat had made sure that the whole house was modeled like the Wammy House, wanting something familiar in the hectic lives that Lawliet and her self led.

"Everything is fully operational, Kat," Mr. Wammy informed her.

She eyed the switch board warily. "Uh, Quillish can you make it so that we are connected to Lawliet's headquarters? You know how I am with anything…uh, how does Mello phrase it? Ah, you know how I am with anything tech-y." She said, pawing the air when she spotted a mosquito buzzing around her head. Quillish simply nodded, flicking a button.

Back at the current head quarter's, a sketched out letter "K" appeared on a computer, something that Kat had a creative little girl named Linda do for her. She remained silent, watching everything play right before her eyes, as if a show.

The door to the hotel room opened and in walked Lawliet, closing the door behind him in his precarious way.

"Oh Ryuuzaki, we're uncovering more and more evidence." Aizawa said, quite enthusiastically.

Lawliet completely disregarded him, walking over to the computer. "Watari, Kokoro, has she said anything?" Lawliet asked.

"No." Watari answered through the laptop, "Sorry, but nothing yet. She hasn't even complained about being restrained."

"All right, send the images this way." Lawliet ordered. This did not settle at all well with Agent K.

"Hey, L, are you sure these humans will not throw a fit or something? They seem to be the type…" She lashed out.

"Just do it." Lawliet told them. The screen changed in the hotel, Amane Misa was strapped to some kind of bar-structure, blind folded and wearing some kind of ripped white cloth strait jacket. She looked frightened but was not weeping, wailing or anything that K expected a human female like her to do.

"Whoa!" the task force members protested in unison. "Ryuuzaki... this is..."

"She's been captured as the second Kira. What do you expect?" Lawliet reminded them. "If we had no evidence, it would be one thing."

"It's true... the finger prints don't match and it seems like the video equipment was disposed of, but we found the same type of paper as the diary, an express delivery stamp, the ink and components all match." Aizawa stated, "the pollen found in the adhesive of the envelope sent from Osaka matched the flowers growing around the apartment she lived at until April and is rare in the Kanto region..."

"And a ticket stub for the Tokyo-Nagano train from the day of when a tape was sent from Nagano. The security tapes should still exist for that day, I bet we'll find her if we view them. Kira didn't leave any evidence like that." Matsuda said.

"Yes, with all this physical evidence it seems pretty certain..." Yagami-san agreed.

"There's no mistake." Lawliet announced, "Now it's just... how did she kill? And does she know Kira? Who is Kira? We'll have to make her confess."

"Watari, Kokoro, take precautions but do whatever it takes to just make her talk." Lawliet instructed his companions.

"You sure you want me to get my hands on this kid? It will be more likely she will be traumatized if I use my usual methods." K said, licking her lips in excitement.

"You're right, let Watari do it instead, your methods are too messy for this situation."

K gave a resigned sigh, "Fine, I will make sure she does _something_ then."

"And... Yagami-san... right now I have forbidden Light-kun from coming in and out of here. But...the next time...I believe he will be called in as a prime suspect. Please be prepared for that." Lawliet said as he sipped some coffee.

The entire task force went silent as the grave, so Lawliet continued as though he needed to justify the statement.

"Amane moved to Tokyo in April and soon became close to Light-kun. Her parents were killed by a burglar and Kira killed the burglar. And Light-kun possessed a cell phone just to call her with. Not that that's rare among lovers, but I doubt that a prideful guy like Raito-kun would accept such a thing." Lawliet explained.

"The only thing in his favor is that I would think Light-kun, if he is Kira, would kill Amane to keep her from talking. But she's still alive. Though I would assume he knows that if he killed her while this few people know of her arrest, then it would only deepen my suspicion against him." Lawliet decided.

Kat listened in to all this of course, though her eyes were trained on the massive blur behind Amane. It was, impressively, three days before Kat had to page Lawliet about Amane finally talking.

"Visuals and audio now!" Lawliet commanded as the rest of the task force gathered around the computer.

"I... can't take it anymore." Amane said, "Kill me!" she ordered. "Kill me! Hurry up and kill me!"

"You said she hasn't had water in three days, right...?" Aizawa asked, brows furrowing.

"That's too much for a twenty-year old girl... she must be at her limit..." Matsuda agreed.

Lawliet pushed the button at the base of a computer microphone on the desk. "Misa Amane, can you hear me?" He asked.

"Yes..." Amane answered weakly. "Please... kill me now..." She begged, but Kat could sense that it was not directed at any of them.

"Does this mean that in the face of overwhelming evidence, you are acknowledging that you are the second Kira and giving up?" Lawliet asked,

"No, I don't know anything about that..." Amane answered, "I can't take this... I'd rather be dead... now! Hurry! Kill me! You can do it instantly, right?!" She cried, shaking.

A slight shushing noise was all Kat heard as she strained her feline ears. "Yes, kill me." Amane seemed to answer it, whatever 'it' was.

"Yes... kill me..." Amane repeated. "I can't take it... kill me." She responded again to the noise.

"No... no... kill me..." Amane begged. "I was supposed to die that day anyway..." Amane said through the screen.

"She must mean when the burglar killed her parents..." Aizawa suggested.

"Poor girl, I feel sorry for her..." Matsuda said.

"I would die happy now... while I'm still young and pretty... kill me..." Amane begged the thing, an overwhelming sense of pity filled Kat.

And then, her head lolled down. "Ryuuzaki, she has passed out, I will let Watari take over this and go tend to a few other matters," Kat said in to the microphone that Quillish had pointed out a while ago.

"Fine."

_**A/N: w00t! 20 chapters! and looks up sixty nine reviews! And...I command chu to type in "AMV Jizen Keiji" into youtube and watch the video i made for Timekeeper101! Feel free to comment or rate if you wish! Until next chappy my faithful readers!**_


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Kat sat in a small cottage, far away from the bustling streets of Tokyo. The click-clacking of the keys in front of her and the air conditioning unit being the only sound other than the inaudible pur she made while breathing.

_Maria Johnson should be here in a little bit, than shortly after I have to meet up with some underground informants and finally catch up to my darling successors. _She thought, wrinkling her nose when she flipped through page after page of useless information. Her eyes were going to go bleary soon form staring at computer screens so much, not to mention she and Ryuuzaki might become diabetics from all the sweets…._Ha, a diabetic cat and squirrel, though I doubt that would happen anytime soon. _

A pale hand reached up to twirl her black and ebony locks. She had clear intentions today, show the up-and-coming designer how she, Kat, truly looked…she had a hunch that the young lady would not bat much of an eyelash at what she planned to tell her.

Just as she gave an exasperated sigh, she heard the soft hum of a car, silent enough for Kat to confirm it was a new model. True to her word, the soft thumping of footsteps reached Kat's ears as she went to the door, at exactly ten in the morning.

She pulled the door open, looking at the small mousy haired girl with the same glasses as before. Sparing her a smile, she welcomed her in, giving the okay sign to the driver.

"Y-you h-have s-such a p-pretty h-home, T-Tomoe-san…a-and y-your hair looks p-pretty l-like t-that t-too," She stuttered, tentatively taking a seat, eyes roaming around the small inhabitance.

Kat gave a slight chuckle. "Maria," She spoke in English, completely baffling that younger girl. "You and I both know that this is not where I truly live…" She said, plopping down in front of her computer. "Or should I call you Suture? That _is_ the name you used at the Wammy House correct? And your real name is Deliverance Luminista…a gypsy name if I recall appropriately." She finished, pushing a tea set in front of the star struck girl. Perhaps Kat was wrong about the girl not batting an eyelash at the information.

"H-h-h-how d-d-do y-y-y-you kn-n-n-n-now t-t-t-that?" She asked, hands trembling, the poor thing looked as pale as Kat or Lawliet.

"Well, information form the orphanage is always being relayed to my associate and I, though really, you should remember me, I used to read bedtime stories to you and the other younger humans," She quipped casually, sipping her tea, flinching than reaching over to plop an ample amount of sugar cubes in. _Of all the habits to pick up, we get Lawliet's impeccable sweet tooth…sooner or later we are going to have to go to a dentist…_K muttered irked.

The younger girl's mind seemed to be going a million miles an hour, at least from what Kat could tell as her hands ceased their shivering, and finally, she stopped completely, gasping.

"K-Kat-chan? Y-y-you are agent K so that means y-y-you are w-working w-with L-L on the K-K-K-K-K-K-K-Kira case!!" She exclaimed, standing up, putting her finger in the air much in the same manner that Kat had a few days ago when in the presence of Light Yagami.

A smirk came to Kat's features (Though one could not assure that it _was Kat,_ perhaps it was the host? Kew? She _was_ a mixture of all the personas…) "Hm, you have not changed one bit, you always were one to figure things out rather quickly," She threw out a compliment rather haphazardly.

The girl blushed. "I-i-i-i-it's s-s-s-s-sort of o-o-obvious. Y-y-you a-a-a-and L-L-L-L w-w-w-were a-a-a-always j-j-j-joined a-a-at t-t-t-the hip," She expressed shakily, making Kat put in more effort into discerning the stuttering girl's words.

She gave a coy smile, "Yes, well, that happens when you…put two recluses into the same room, they apparently become best friends." She had quickly caught herself when she was about to say, 'have a past like mine.'

The girl, named "Suture" by the Wammy House, had confusion written clearly across her face, "Y-y-y-y-you t-t-t-two h-have never gone out?"

Now it was time for Kat to be perplexed. "Tell me, what do you mean by that phrase, 'gone out'? Since I highly doubt it means to run around in the fresh air…"

Suture's eyebrows disappeared into her bangs. "T-t-t-to 'g-g-go o-o-out' means to date, to be a couple…o-o-or something like t-t-that," She said, stuttering beginning to lessen.

"I-I don't understand. We have pretended…but why would you assume…?" She asked, quite flustered, pallid cheeks turning rosy.

"Because e-e-everyone c-c-could see t-t-that h-h-he only t-t-took to you a-and Mr. Wammy, not t-t-to mention t-t-that h-he was careful with y-you…d-d-don't get m-me started on h-h-how he _looked_ a-a-at you."

This only proved to muddle Kat more. Seeing the puzzlement and embarrassment in the older woman's eyes, Suture tried to clear it out, looking at the wall as to not stutter. "W-we even had a game back there, at least, I know of it, till they t-took me away at age f-fourteen. Instead of playing 'Mommy and daddy' the younger kids would play 'L and Kat,' one being bouncy and curious, the other kind and complacent with their partner. I always use to play it with Beyond Birthday."

Kat turned her head away from the girl. She had known all along that Lawliet acted different around her but not to the point that they might be…romantically involved. She searched her head for the definition.

Romantic: 1) involving or characteristic of a love affair or sexual love, especially when the relationship is idealized or exciting and intense. 2) Characterized by or suitable for lovemaking or the expression of tender emotions. Romance: a love affair, especially a brief and intense one. Or a physical love which would direct you back to number 1.

Dating: the activity of going out regularly with somebody as a social or romantic partner…

"Suture, you can stop stammering so much, think of me as the Kat you knew back then, not 'Saionji Tomoe," She said, giving a small grin, eyes far off. How could she have been so- so- _oblivious _to Lawliet's attraction to her? But then, what if his actions were not for the purpose of having a "romantic" relationship? What if he was simply expressing his feelings to her as…what were the human packs called? …Families and so a female 'family' member would be…a sister?

The girl sipped her tea silently, adjusting her glasses then brushing a few brunette curls away from her face. She was not unaware of Kat's inner turmoil, but when trying to explain things to her…well, suffice it to say it was like walking on eggshells. You never knew whether she might bellow a string of obscenities your way or kindly accept it with curious eyes.

"Hm…as…interesting as that is…I can only refute it with the fact that L has never made a move and adamantly says 'best friend,' however, I did not call you over to discuss these things…" Kat said, aiming her vibrant eyes at the younger female. "I called you so that, as everyone says, 'take a break' from the Kira case, and perhaps give you some insight on the happenings so far…" She got up form her seat, tilting her head with a grin in place. "So, let's have 'fun,' ne?"

The girl seemed a bit dazed at the sudden change of topics, before she nodded hurriedly.

-

Suture pulled Kat around all of Chiyoda, causing said woman to grin slightly at the younger's antics. Suture seemed to have crawled out of her protective and nervous bubble as soon as Kat had told her to, which unnerved her a bit, a disturbing thought coming to her head for about a moment before she completely dismissed it.

She simply focused on the day, grinning and laughing when she felt she had to, but otherwise having a good time. Suture, or Maria, whichever, had taken her to see "Nana The Movie," then walked all over town buying many compact discs from the band.

_Suture gave Kat a stern look, eye blazing with conviction. "Y-you never gave y-yourself time t-to indulge on human things, K-Kokoro," The girl chided, taking a sip of her diet coke. _

"_Yes, well, indulgence and duties simply do not go, as humans say, hand in hand; now, do they?" She asked, popping some sashimi (raw fish) into her mouth. _

"_I s-suppose not, but that doesn't m-mean you can miss out on it now that you c-can p-practically do whatever you w-wish!" She said gleefully. Kat could not help but think that the younger girl actually enjoyed her company. _

_Kat looked at her through her eyes lashes, placing the tips of her fingers a little bit away from her face, pulling her milkshake towards her. "Hm, if we do, then you shall opt to remove those glasses and get some…contacts. It would make your…pretty brown eyes come out." Kat remarked without thinking much of it, watching mirthfully as Suture blushed. _

"_O-okay, but we are going to watch the 'Nana' movie a-and b-buying CDs, and ooh! S-So m-much more!" _

_Kat nodded. "Yes, yes, we can do all of that, don't worry, but I have to be back in time to meet Ryuuzaki and a few miniature humans for dinner," She smirked, thinking of the reactions she was to get from her little group of acquaintances. _

"_Uwah!" _

"Hm, s-so, where a-are you g-going to meet Ryuuzaki and the 'm-miniature humans?'" Suture asked, skipping along, a serene smile on her features.

"I…have not decided that yet, actually," Kat said, turning her face to the sky, admiring the myriad of periwinkles, pinks, reds and oranges. "I wanted your opinion on it…"

Suture seemed to perk up, "H-how about going to o-one in Shibuya? The night c-clubs and things over there are awesome! N-Not t-to mention that the Karaoke bars are e-exquisite!" She said, overzealously, eyes sparkling.

Kat nodded. "That does not sound like a bad idea…a karaoke bar you say? I suppose it would be adequate enough, hell perhaps I shall even invite the task force and tell my guests to disguise themselves? Yes, that would do, all the humans know of my brash nature so it would come as no surprise to them…"" _BEEP BEEP BEEP. _

"Ah, excuse me, I must take this," Kat said politely, turning away from her companion. "Hello?"

"_Sis, I just got off of the phone with L; he said to tell you that your acquaintances paged, saying that no new news has come in. What! Mello! No! Give me the damn phone! I want to talk to sis--!" _

"_Hello? Kat! Why the hell did we have to come with NEAR?! He's not one of your successors dammit!" _

Kat sighed, bowing her head so as no one could read her lips if they tried. "No, he is not, but must I remind you that he is…Ryuuzaki's successor? You should know, you are both Ryuuzaki's successor and mine, you will do well to bear with it," She said the last part with a smirk on her face, knowing that Mello would never get used to being around his rival.

"_What! Matt?! Don't give the phone to the dumbass! Grah! Who are you to call me a girly boy?! I', fourteen in a half you idiot!" _

Sharp crashes and curses were then heard, "_Miss Kat? May I ask where we shall be going once we land in Japan?" _Near's soft voice could barely be deciphered_. _

"Shibuya, Karaoke bar, tell the boys I said bye, I need to go pick up Ryuuzaki and Watari," And with that she hung up.

"Hey, Maria, do you want me to go to Shibuya in this?" Kat indicated to the leather jacket, lime green and black striped shirt, fluffed skirt, fishnets and boots.

"Yep! Y-you'll fit right in!"

-

After saying good bye to Suture, Kat hailed a taxi cab, telling the chauffer to drive her to the Shibuya Karaoke district.

Kat walked quietly to the one bar that Suture had said would let minors in for a fee. A familiar Rolls Royce pulling up and parking, five people piling out of it.

This was going to be a long night.

_**A/N: Hm, nothing to say except that I am beta-reading "Differences Made" by **__Alchemichelper101(it a FullMetal Alchemist Story) __**and "A Gaunt Tale" by **__X.XCommaX.X__** (A Harry Potter Marauder's era story) Ah! Don't forget to drop by "Jizen Keiji" by **__Timekeeper101 __**XD! I take requests and shall answer any questions you have regarding my story!**_


	22. Chapter 22

Kat gazed on as she came to the quaint Chinese Karaoke bar. It was a curious thing, the fact that Suture would recommend a _Chinese_ establishment instead of any of the other Japanese ones in the area.

Lawliet and Watari had insisted on picking up the boys then heading to the Karaoke bar, leaving one of their acquaintances (and by 'acquaintances,' she meant one of the criminals that had trusted K, an odd thing in itself) to monitor the security cameras after sending everyone in the task force home, saying that they needed a break just as much as anyone else.

Kat brushed her hair to the side, waiting silently outside of a building called "Báisè Laohu" Or, in laymen's terms "The White Tiger." Kat's mind idled on why they would name a karaoke bar _that_ of all things: senses at a dull roar (Since she obviously did not feel like clawing people with the chimes above doors rang…).

She waited patiently outside, on occasion chatting with the bouncers in Mandarin. But nothing terribly significant, and if and only if the topic of Kira would come up, she just directed it to some other subject.

Kat was twirling her hair absent mindedly, nodding at the words the bouncer told her of his home in China when she noticed the Rolls Royce pulled up. "_Hm, my friends have arrived, Mr. __Xu__. I hope to see you again,_ zài jiàn!" (Means "goodbye" pronounced "zai" like Japanese 'ai' but with Z and "ch-eh" all strung together) She bowed, to which Mr. Xu returned, a smile on his face.

She turned around and made to walk up to the car, but thought better of it when _she_ of all people noticed how conspicuous they looked. But of course, the personas were all battling out about something fairly different that she paid little to no heed to.

_About damn time they got here._ K swore at their lack of time management. _Don't blame them! We were the ones who brought them here! Hee hee!_ Kit retorted, practically bouncing with glee at the fact that they were going to a karaoke bar. _SHUT UP, KITTEN! _And with that roar, went K's last shred of tolerance. Kat winced violently, bringing to her hands to her temples blindingly fast, muttering foully about headaches and stupid arguments.

Lawliet was the first to spot her naturally, having lived with her seventeen years; he would be able to pick her out_ anywhere _no_ matter _howmanypeople_. _But something was off about her.

"Sis!" Matt cried out, breaking into a run towards the woman who was still wincing in pain. Her eyes wrenched open when she heard the voice, spreading her feet apart and catching him in an embrace before he could bulldoze her over into the throng of people. A small huff of air escaping her lips when he impacted against her, literally robbing her of air.

"Woah, Matt, would it have mattered if you had waited till I had my eyes opened?" She questioned jokingly, a grin on her features.

"Yes! Because then Mello would have hogged you!" He exclaimed, backing up and pulling out his Play station portable.

Said blonde came stomping up, giving her a quick hug then proceeding to colorfully tell Matt off for nearly killing people. ("_We are supposed to save people, for god's sake! Not kill 'em!")_

The last of the five-some idled up casually, the smallest walking over to give her an equally brief hug. "Hello, Near, how have you been holding up with my overzealous successor?" She asked, motioning with her hand for the others to come as she pulled Mello into the building by his ear, his complaints very vocalized. If she did not know any better, she would say he acted more like a hot headed parrot then anything else.

"Hm, fine, and how has Kat-nee-chan been coping with L-sama?" He asked, twirling his hair, in a fashion that was eerily similar to hers.

"Fine, though the tedium of paperwork is completely revolting, ah, wait a few minutes; I must get the directions to the room." She said, letting go of a disgruntled Mello and asking in rapid Mandarin if they might show her where the room she had rented out would be. Then she quickly switched to Cantonese when they looked at her oddly and said in English that they came from Canton.

She flashed a bright smile when a Japanese attendant came to help them to the room. They walked through what seemed like a million corridors, (though Lawliet and Near only counted seven, why they were counting in the first place remains to be seemed) Lawliet and Mr. Wammy ushering from behind and Kat in front, glancing back every once in a while to laugh at the argument Matt and Mello were in. They acted so different from Lawliet and herself yet they, too, were best friends.

She gave a nod to the attendant and spared her a smile when they had arrived. Of course, the girl then seemed to have realized something and practically started hyperventilating the name "Tomo-chan" barely being decipherable. Kat inwardly groaned as Kitten took over, winking and putting a finger to her lips as a sign to stay quiet about it. It was the first time that the other four people had seen Kit out in the open so they were sort of in a momentary stupor over the change of persona. Though Mr. Wammy more or less stood less surprised, knowing that her personas were going to keep dividing if his theory was correct (the boys were wondering why she was acting different in the first place, unaware of the her multiple-personality disorder).

Kew quickly took over all of the personas, walking into the Karaoke room she had rented and walking straight over to a booth, ignoring the other humans whom were sharing.

When Lawliet walked in with the rest of them, he was completely overwhelmed by the iridescent azure walls, flashing lights, and the boisterous talk of the people in the booth across the room. The complete ambience of the place was more of a club than anything. He shook his head and followed his successors and Mr. Wammy to the booth, making sure his seat was next to Kat. "Hm, you chose a singing bar…so…out of character of you." He mentioned numbly, watching her with keen eyes as she ordered drinks for everyone in Chinese.

When she turned back to him, it was with a brilliant smile, "Well, I thought it would be good to have a change of place, only Watari knows that we scarcely ever get a chance to leave, and if that happens, he is usually pulling us along forcefully."

"Hm, touché," He said, brandishing a small grin on his features.

Kew leaned back, scanning her eyes over the three young boys then randomly switching to English. "_So, what has been happening at the orphanage with you three? You are not raising too much hell for Roger, I hope." _

They turned their heads away from her sheepishly, bowing their heads in ominously simultaneous. The three adults shook their heads, of course. Mayhem and the rivaling trio were like L and cases or K and missions; inseparable.

"_So, Sis, any missions we can help you with?" _Mello asked hopefully, even if it was not visible on his physical countenance, it was obvious to Kew.

She shook her head softly, strands of ebony and silver hair scattering all over the place. "_Not a chance, the day I give you one of _my_ missions will be the day that Ryuuzaki quits sweets permanently,"_ And everybody knew that loosely translated to, 'Not even when hell freezes over, kiddo.'

They chatted comfortably, the epitome of calm with the soft singing of the girls in the background chorusing. And when the actual food came, Kew grinned slightly at the predictable pallets of her companions. She had guessed correct for every one of them…

"Hey, Sis, we're at a karaoke bar, why don't you sing?" Matt asked, taking a sip of his virgin piña colada, eyes shining with curiosity. Mello rolled his eyes at his friends choice in words. "Are you kidding, Matt? She's part _you-know-what,_haven't you ever heard of caterwauling? She might make our ears bleed!" He said, the playful tone apparent to everyone save Kew who immediately retorted with a, "At least people do not wonder if I am a homosexual person or have no gender when I walk into an establishment." That of course, was courtesy of K, what with her short temper.

Mello rose to the chance at arguing, not at all wanted to be made a fool out of. "Excuse me, but you've obviously mistaken me for someone who gives a damn," He began tersely. "At least I'm not afraid of the shower!"

"For your information, I take them daily! My, if your brain was chocolate it wouldn't fill an M&M!" She spat back, the little playful atmosphere sinking rapidly into a full out argument consisting mainly of insults. Near said something into Mello's ear quickly and he repeated it without thinking about it. "I'm blonde, what's your excuse?"

At that a silence went over everything when they noticed that Kew was no longer there, instead she was up next to the Chinese girls that were singing, asking something. When she turned back around she had a microphone gripped tightly in her hand, licking her lips anxiously (Causing a strange shiver to go down a certain somebody's spine, not at all unpleasant). The apprehensive twitch in her fingers and the slight barely visible flutter of her hair gave way to the fact that she was nervous. But when her head turned to the booth at which her companions were sitting at, a flash of arrogance flitted through her eyes, slight smirk accompanying it.

But no sooner had she opened her mouth to speak did she hear the other table of humans speak hurriedly about one of her façades. The one that loved to disguise herself as "Tomo-chan." The solitary female at the table rose, making a bee-line towards Kew. "Hi there, mind if I sing with you?" She asked pleasantly, smiling an outright grin.

Kew nodded, handing her a microphone, then turning herself about face so that she was looking straight at the small group instead of the screen words, wanting to show off for some reason she did not even know…

The recording of the guitar began with a simple string of chords in succession before the second guitar and the drum set jumped in, both females bobbing their heads to the music unconsciously.

"_When I was darkness at that time  
Furueteru kuchibiru  
Heya no katasumi de I cry  
Mogakeba mogaku hodo tsukisasaru kono kizu  
Yaburareta yakusoku hurt me_ Both females ended it strong, stomping the ground with the last note hit and rung in the air. A round of applause was heard from both booths, another smirk arising to Kew's lips as she bowed to her singing partner (though a partner was not needed for the song) then turned towards her table, seeing Matt exchanging money with Mello.

Nobody can save me  
Kamisama hitotsu dake  
Tomete saku you na my love

I need your love. I'm a broken rose  
Maichiru kanashimi your song  
Ibasho nai kodoku na my life  
I need your love. I'm a broken rose  
Oh baby, help me from frozen pain  
With your smile, your eyes  
And sing me, just for me

I wanna need your love...  
I'm a broken rose  
I wanna need your love...

When you are with me at that time  
Anata no kage wo oikakete  
Hadashi de kake nukete stop me  
Tozaseba tozasu hodo motsureteku kono ai  
Odayaka ni yasashiku kiss me

Nobody can save me  
Kogoeru bara no you ni  
Yasashiku nemuritai my tears

I need your love. I'm a broken rose.  
Kare ochiru kanashimi my soul  
Kuzureteku kodoku na little girl  
I need your love. I'm a broken rose  
Oh baby, help me from frozen pain  
With your smile, your eyes  
And sing me, just for me

I wanna need your love...  
I'm a broken rose  
I wanna need your love...

I need your love. I'm a broken rose  
Maichiru kanashimi your song  
Ibasho nai kodoku na my life  
I need your love. I'm a broken rose  
Oh baby, help me from frozen pain  
With your smile, your eyes  
And sing me, just for me

I wanna need your love...  
I'm a broken rose  
I wanna need your love..."

"See? No caterwauling. Simply singing." She said, a smug tone in her quiet voice. That was met with a chorus of laughs as Mello grumbled under his breath about something or another.

The night wore on and when it came time to finally go, Kew sent the half asleep boys in one of their many chauffeured cars to one of the estates Lawliet owned while they went off in another.

It was dark and quiet as they made their way back to the latest hotel, Kat kept on seeing flashes of herself over one of the boys beds or a crib…it was a given. Lawliet and she had practically _raised_ all three boys since they were toddlers.

Lawliet gave a start when something touched his shoulder, but quickly relaxed when he saw a familiar head of ebony and silver. Ears twitching and out of hiding, the all too common sound of her soft purrs reaching his ears. At that precise moment, an odd churning filled his stomach…a feeling he had been feeling for a _long_ time.

**A/N: **OOC chapter I believe…and a transient moment of peace between all…The song was_**Rose by Anna Tsuchiya**__,_ purposely from the film **Nana.** Here is the English translation of the song:

When I was darkness at that time  
Trembling lips  
In the corner of my room I cry  
The more I struggle, the more these wounds stab me  
That broken promise hurt me

Nobody can save me  
God, I ask just one thing  
Stop this love of mine that's tearing me up

I need your love. I'm a broken rose  
The sadness of your song falls down on me  
My life is lonely and I've nowhere to go  
I need your love. I'm a broken rose  
Oh baby, help me from frozen pain  
With your smile, your eyes  
And sing me, just for me

I wanna need your love...  
I'm a broken rose  
I wanna need your love...

When you are with me at that time  
I chased after your shadow  
Running barefoot, stop me  
The more I try to shut it away, the more twisted this love gets  
Kiss me softly and tenderly

Nobody can save me  
Like a frozen rose  
I want to sleep tenderly, my tears

I need your love. I'm a broken rose.  
The sadness in my soul withers and falls  
I'm a little girl, lonely and crumbling  
I need your love. I'm a broken rose  
Oh baby, help me from frozen pain  
With your smile, your eyes  
And sing me, just for me

I wanna need your love...  
I'm a broken rose  
I wanna need your love...

I need your love. I'm a broken rose  
The sadness of your song falls down on me  
My life is lonely and I've nowhere to go  
I need your love. I'm a broken rose  
Oh baby, help me from frozen pain  
With your smile, your eyes  
And sing me, just for me

I wanna need your love...  
I'm a broken rose  
I wanna need your love...

**White Alchemist Taya: **Yes, that makes perfect sense ^-^. Human emotions can be so confusing, in all aspects that sometimes you wish you did not have them or had no clue what they were in this case. But understanding and having emotions is one of major points _of_ being human. Completely understandable. I'd sooner volunteer to teach my math class than give up my emotions or loose understanding of them. But life is like that, ne?

**Yuru Neko: **Hm, yes, the precise reason why I put a cat girl in my fic. Because it is unique and has not been done. So I suppose it was one of my rare strokes of "brilliance" as one of my friends say. (she's British, and has the posh accent and all) I _do_ hope you liked this chapter.

**Timekeeper101: **Well, nee-chan, even if I already replied, I can't help but write you down and give you credit for reviewing. ^-^ Just the same, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And I can't respond publicly to the last comment you put on your review or else I'll spoil it for people whom do not like to have their stories spoiled.

**Please review and HAPPY BIRTHDAY L LAWLIET! THIS CHAPTER WAS UPDATED IN REMEBERANCE OF THE WORLD'S SMARTEST AND SMEXIEST DETECTIVE!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

**A/N: Please enjoy and read the author's not at the end of the chapter. **

-

Kew sat in a chair, twisting her green controller this way and that. Her eyes widened at the screen all in one moment then her finger went up and pointed at her adversary. "Cheater! You messed my controller up! There is no way you could have won fairly!"

"I swear to God, sis! This was a fair game!" Matt said, putting his hands up, palms facing her in a surrendering pose.

"Yeah, is it his fault your complete crap at playing video games?" Mello asked sarcastically, receiving a whack in the head with a pillow, courtesy of the resident cat woman. "Oh, quiet Mello, this is precisely the reason why I refuse to allow you three to do anything more than a surveillance mission with me." Kew countered.

Mello just turned away, taking a giant bite out of his chocolate bar, muttering things under his breath. Kew rolled her eyes, raising herself from the ground, and walking into the next room. She poked her head in, staring through one of the small triple paned windows at the model. "How is she holding up Watari? I feel bad that I am leaving you to take care of her all by yourself," She said, letting herself in, on all fours, as per usual.

"Nonsense, Kat. God knows how much trouble those three would get in should they not have a firm caretaker to reprimand them. I am here to help you and L, it is my job," He said, giving her one of his smiles, one that she constantly saw on fathers when they were around their children.

Did Watari think of L and her as his children? That was plausible. He had this naturally caring…soul? Was that the word? Soul: 1) the complex of human attributes that manifests as consciousness, thought, feeling, and will, regarded as distinct from the physical body. 2) A person's emotional and moral nature, where the most private thoughts and feelings are hidden. 3) The deepest and truest nature of people or a nation, or what gives somebody or something a distinctive character. Yes, it was a good word to describe what she was trying so say.

The man had seen death over and over, and in the stead of becoming a recluse or closing himself, he just used his caring nature and decided to create orphanages while juggling his inventor career. And further more, he went out of his way to save children that were in less than good situations, be them orphans or not, and searched for a better home on behalf of them.

She was one of the ones in a situation like that, what with no one knowing whether her parents were deceased or not. But should she really even give it a thought? What human who gave up there unborn (for that was her situation according to some files) infant to malicious scientists that would alter her very DNA within lengths of killing said child?

"Ah, I cannot retort to that one, they are a handful. Ever since they were toddlers," A sheepish grin came to her features, causing her to look even younger than she already did. "Yet I cannot help but think that they take after L and me in the 'troublemaker' sense."

Her eyes wandered to the little screen that depicted Lawliet speaking to Misa. It was the usual "Stalker" accusations that were being thrown around along with the interrogation questions; nothing new.

_**BAM!**_ However, _that_was new. She ran full tilt into the other room, unconsciously switching to her cat form mid stride, fur standing on end.

The sight that she saw, however, made her grey ear twitch irritably. Mello, for some reason, was being held back by Matt via a headlock and was missing one of his shoes, while Near was rebuilding his replica of the Tokyo skyline. Oh, and there was Mello's missing shoe.

An unknown emotion bubbled behind her eyes as she slowly shifted back, fists clenched at her sides. "What the hell is happening here---?" But she didn't even get to finish as her ears picked up on a promising conversation. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, turning halfway around. "Why is Light going to where Lawliet is? Damn," And with that, she stomped out of the room and into the one she had just left, glaring at the monitors, completely aware of the three who had abandoned their issues to follow her.

"Ryuuzaki... as I said on the phone..." Light began.

"Yes..." Lawliet drawled slightly, never letting his apathetic façade down.

"I might be Kira." Light stated quite blatantly. Kat was the epitome of calm as opposed to her successors whom both gave some sort of startled reaction. She saw Watari tapping quite a few buttons, the visual and audio where Lawliet was disappearing right now, no doubt.

All color drained from Soichiro Yagami's face as he bellowed out his protest to the theory (more like confession). "It can't be!! What are you saying, Light?!" He cried, shaking Raito's shoulders. "Have you lost it?! Please snap out of it, Light!!" He begged. Kat felt truly pitiful for the man, and how he was most likely ripping himself from the inside out with all the accusations being thrown at his son. "What's going on? Answer me!" He shouted.

"Dad... if Ryuuzaki is L, then he's unquestionably the best detective in the world." A murmur of 'the arse kissing git' was passed among Matt and Mello while Near nodded numbly. "If L has decided that I'm Kira, then I probably am." Light said; a tenor solemnity in his voice. Kat's ear twitched irritably, once more, all of her efforts went unnoticed. Did they not notice that if Watari and she were not there Lawliet would most likely be cranky enough to slam his foot into Light's face as soon as he thought Light was guilty?

"W-what are you saying, Light?!" Yagami-san asked.

"Yes, its true... in my mind, Light-kun is almost definitely Kira. And thus, I'll probably be questioning him soon." Lawliet stated, taking a sip of his tea but aiming his piercing eyes at the task force all the while. "Light-kun has extremely sharp insight and understands my way of thinking."

Kew just wished she was there, that way she could be looming over the task force, making a tense situation even worse with her domineering air and (as she had been informed previously) demonic like emerald eyes seemingly staring a whole through their souls.

"The people that FBI agent Raye Penber was investigating before he died... people that went to Aoyama on May 22nd... and the person that second Kira suspect Misa approached after coming to Tokyo... it all points to me. If I was in L's position, I would conclude that I'm Kira, too. This means... that while I have no consciousness of it, I might be Kira." Light explained.

"_Lies!" _K yearned to hiss, the blur over his shoulder was enough to spark her instincts. She would love to dig her claws into the little liar but she would most likely be thrown into a jail cell by the task force members. This only made the fantasy of getting her paws on Kira's throat more and more vivid. _Stop! We are not what the filthy humans made us for! Just repress it all!_ She told herself, taking a deep breath, the rage that was bubbling in her eyes simmering down till it was just barely there. However, the thing line of fur on her tail would not go down, betraying her emotions.

"Light..." Yagami-san tried to plead, give some sense to his son.

"This 'shinigami' word left by the criminal who was controlled by Kira... the same word appeared in the second Kira's message, too. I don't believe in Shinigami, but thinking about that and then having the world's best detective say that I'm Kira... I'm starting to not even understand myself... I'm afraid... what if I'm losing my mind?" Light asked.

Kat could hear the ghost of the cackling behind Light, the blur bouncing up and down as the word 'shinigami' left Light's lips. Her own twisted into a snarl, canines glinting in the light.

"I may not be conscious of it, but maybe when I go to sleep another version of me comes out and does the killings..." Light suggested, that spark of mendacity in his eyes never waning down a bit.

"That did not happen." Lawliet pointed out, taking another sip of his tea and reaching over for a pocky box he had on the table, almost as if ignoring the severity of the situation.

"What do you mean, Ryuuzaki?" Light asked.

"There was actually about five days when we had cameras installed in your room." Lawliet stated.

"Cameras...?" Light asked. Oh! If cat was there---! Once more she had to push away the violent thoughts. If Kira was supposedly had the God-complex that she and Lawliet thought, than Light Yagami was not only a compulsive liar, he had a hero-complex, a severe superiority-complex, and over he must have obsessive compulsive disorder! What other reason would there be for him looking so "perfect" to those who cared not to look deeper.

-

"Yes, you were sleeping normally at night..." Lawliet said flatly, for some reason getting the feeling that K was ripping her hair out of her head with the conversation they were having.

"You went that far... Ryuuzaki...?" Light asked grabbing the back of Lawliet's chair. "Then... during those five days I didn't act as a 'shinigami'...?" he confirmed.

"Right... there unfortunately was no activity... since criminals died even when you didn't gain any information on them... my conclusion was not that you weren't Kira, but that you made no mistakes to reveal yourself as Kira." Lawliet stated.

-

"No mistakes as Kira, huh? That may be correct... but how...? What should I do...? So am I Kira, then? If I look at it objectively, it seems probable." Light wondered out loud.

"It can't be, Light... you're thinking too much..." Yagami-san attempted.

"I have to be honest... sometimes I think that some serious criminals should be killed... I think any person who thinks that way could become Kira..." Light continued. A small bout of growling began in the back of Kew's throat. (1)

"Light..." Yagami-san tried again to protest.

"It's true, Dad... and not just criminals. There are many people who deep inside, I think would be better off dead..." Light was getting on her last nerve, he had something up his sleeve and the constant cackling in the background just proved it.

"Light... that goes the same for me. I'm always thinking that some people should be dead. Most people are probably like that. But that doesn't mean you'd actually kill them, right?" Matsuda said, trying to at least be a part of the conversation. "The criminals died even when you had no information on them. The cameras proved that. We watched you for five days, you couldn't be Kira..."

And that was quickly becoming one of Kew's pet peeves. The task force seemed to rule out Light from the suspects list simply because he was Chief Yagami's son and they had a personal relationship with him, that was the one thing that usually differentiated a valid investigation from one that was simply, to put it in Mello's words: "Not gonna get anywhere."

"N...no." Aizawa objected. "During that time we were low on members and only watched him in the house. We figured that would be enough but... it's not like we watched him 24 hours a day. He was at school and left freely whenever he wanted... if he figured out he was being watched, then there could have been a way for him to do the killing when he left the house."

"I really don't like where this is going but... fine..." Lawliet decided. "Light Yagami will be restrained and placed under confinement for an undetermined amount of time."

And at that point, almost as if timed, Mello and K gave a hoot of approval. _Lawliet_ most likely _did_ like the fact that they were confining Light but was putting up a show for the task force.

"W-what...? But in that case..." Yagami-san stuttered.

"...If we're doing it, we're doing it right now. You will not be allowed to leave my sight before then." Lawliet said.

"Impossible... there's no way my son can be Kira... why should he..." Yagami-san protested.

"It's ok, Dad." Light cut him off.

"Light..."

"I'll do it. I want to. There's no way I'll be able to keep pursuing Kira if somewhere in my mind I suspect myself. I want to make this clear as soon as possible. This may take a while but it's probably the fastest way.

"But there _has_to be some other way!" Yagami refuted, a strange puce tinge coloring his ears and face.

"No, this is the only way. But you have to agree not to let me out until you've determined for sure whether I'm Kira or not. No matter what I say, Ryuuzaki." Light said.

"I understand... but I can't even imagine how long it would take for my suspicion of you to dissipate. So be prepared for that." Lawliet warned, Kew rolled her eyes at that one, she sure did not care about the kid! Lawliet was just too good a person... "Yagami-san, can you some up with a reason why Light-kun will be away from home for a while? You'll need to."

"But this is all so sudden..." Yagami-san protested. "Why should my son be put in a cell and..."

"Give it up, Dad." Light interrupted again. "I need to do this for myself. And if I'm not Kira, I swear I'll catch the person who's caused this to happen to us, Dad. Kira needs information to do his killings... I'm certain of this fact. By being locked away and shut out from gaining information, I want to prove my innocence and chase after Kira."

"B-but what about college…?" Yagami-san attempted to come up with an excuse.

"At my level... I can miss a year or longer and still be fine, you know that, Dad. How about this as a reason? I'll call Mom and say that I've decided to live on my own with Misa, but my stubborn dad would be totally against it, so I'm going to be out of contact for a while. Then you just have to say something like 'I'm disowning that ungrateful son!'" Light recommended.

"Are you serious... Light?" Yagami-san finally asked.

"Yeah, by taking away my own freedom... I'll defeat the fear that Kira dwells within me." Raito said with finality. He was then handcuffed.

"Aizawa-san can you please proceed from this point? Kokoro will meet you there.

"Yeah..." Aizawa agreed and lead light out of the room. The blur following them.

K instinctively pushed the buttom she learned allowed Lawliet to hear her and said sarcastically, "Oh, yes Ryuuzaki, I am going to just be there and handle our suspect, _you are going to be very fortunate if he gets to his cell without any scratch marks marring his skin."_ She ended the sentence in slightly accented French.

**A/N: **Hm, it's depressing, really. How the difference between hits and reviews is so big! Now, I do hope I am not harping about anything, but would it really hurt to leave a comment? At least let me know that my story is not complete crap? Even a "Update faster!" would brighten my days since that's saying you like the story. I am so close to scrapping the story like so many of my others or putting it on hiatus and just turning to editing stories for other people. But I'm not like that. –sighs- me and my restless need to type ideas. So, review!

**Timekeeper101: Well, nee-chan, you were one of the only persons to review to the chappy so you get all of the credit. I hope you like this one!**

**White Alchemist Taya: Mmm, glad you reviewed!**

**(1) **This is true, go one YouTube and type "Growling cat" it is down right scary and demonic!

**For the Hell of it: BLOOPERS!**

"Yeah, is it his fault your complete crap at playing video games?" Mello asked sarcastically, receiving a whack in the head with the controller, courtesy of the resident cat woman. Wait…**WHAT? **

"GOD DAMMIT! _**CUT!**_Kat! For god's sake! Why the hell are you wearing a cat woman cosplay suit! That is not suitable for children! Sheesh! Someone get all the minors off of the stage!" The director (a/n: me) yelled frantically, deadpanning when she saw Matt pull out a PSP. Kat's suit was a barely there top and bottom, better categorized as undergarments then anything else. But the Director was not sure there was enough fabric to fall into _that_ category either.

"Hey!" Mello bellowed, pointing an accusing finger in the director's direction. "That means you too squirt!"

"What the hell?! Just because I'm as old as Near does not mean that I am short you midget!" The director then turned to Kat, fuming and pointing her finger at Kat. "And _you! _What the hell?! No where in the script does it say "'Kat was wearing a porno worthy suit of cat woman!' All the readers would have left in an instant! Except for a few…ahem, perverts."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Kat wrinkled her nose as she led her little charges to the nearest airport. But she had no reason to be so petulant, right? But, oh no, Lawliet had requested of her to take the boys to the airport herself. The memory was blazing clear in her head.

-

"_Gah! Nee-chan!?!?!?! What the hell was _that_ one for?!" Mello huffed, rubbing the bump on his head. _

_Kat turned lazily towards him, green eyes boring into him as she spoke with her naturally soft voice. "For putting that disturbing mental picture of Roger and Ms. Mercy in my head you dimwit," She stuck her tongue out from her mouth, feigning a gag. "Really, I did not want to know what they do with their free time."_ _She certainly was learning abundance from all of the human interaction. She was beginning to be able to emulate their mannerisms and slang.  
_

"_But that doesn't mean ya get ta abuse me with the goddamn text book!!!" He continued, muttering swears under his breath. _

"_You brought it upon yourself, stand up and atone for your errors." She said putting in a card to complete the clock tower located in Volterra, Italy. It was a master piece, what Near was constructing. The towers and arcs were exemplary, the fountains superb, she doubted she would ever be able to find a finer duplicate anywhere else in the world. _

_Nearly everyone jumped when a blare of music enveloped the room. _

_To say that Kat jumped would be an understatement, she nearly yanked the carpet up in the ferocity of the leap, for they were (quite stupidly) lodged her claws in the carpet. _

_A heat spread across her face as she took out her cellular phone, cursing quietly in an act to try and smother her embarrassment. That _is_ what it was, correct? At least, that is what the dictionaries called it. _

"…_Hello…?" _

"Kokoro,"_ the bleak and toneless voice instantly made a wave a calm go over her. _"I need you to drop them off at the airport."

_Her eyebrows had scrunched up as she pushed a few locks of hair out of her face, green eyes suspicious._

"_Why must I take them? Do we not have drivers for that? I am pretty sure we have them in _excess._" She stated, K leaking through. _

"Yes, however, I want you to take them to ensure that they arrive safely." _She could hear the crunch of food on the other end. _

"_Oh yes, you ask someone that has only ever have driven in illegal races, that truly does ensure their safety, Ryuuzaki."_ _She retorted acidly, she was not at all fond of doing errands, even if it was ensuring any ones safe passage, lest they be for a paid mission…Albeit, even then she would be stoically fuming. _

"Please, just do it."_ And then the line went dead. She snapped the phone shut, clenching it in her hands but not enough to break it. _

"_Boys, lets go, L's sending you off to England, back to Wammy's house." _

_Matt, sensing his "sisters" dangerous mood, decided to stick his neck out on the line. "WHAT?!!! L'S DEPORTING US?!!! I THOUGHT HE WAS OUR FRIEND! THE FIEND!"_

_-_

She pulled a particularly sharp right turn at a red light, causing the drivers to yell out unseemly obscenities and make less then polite hand gestures. But no matter the amount of police cars she passed in the fairly ostentatious cherry red Mustang Cobra, they did not give chase. She had sent an e-mail to all the stations ordering them not to pull over her vehicle and enforced the name of Agent K and Detective L.

At one point, someone actually had the audacity to try and rear-end her. In her rage she slammed the accelerator down to the limit and was a centimeter from demolishing the small car, about ready to take out one of her many stashed guns and ram into a window.

All the while, the three Wammy boys sat ram rod straight, pallid and frightened of their "sister's" manic driving. This took road-rage to a whole new level.

But then, her anger cooled down (her speed however, did not).

_Dammit! Why am I having a conniption! It makes complete sense. He just wants to ensure their safety; therefore, he would only trust either myself or Watari to take them to the airport. And seeing that K would just throw a knife at Misa and say the case was half way done…well then, the only logical choice was to have me take them, no matter how incredibly horrible I am at obeying driving laws. _

_And in a way…it is another way to show that he trusts me with the safety of his successors (and mine, but that is completely beside the point). _

_Does he take some sick pleasure from seeing me completely at wit's end? He seems to do it quite a lot, even when we where children._

She took one of her hands off of the wheel, turning her eyes away from the road in favor of the CDs that Suture had persuaded her to buy. She shuffled through them (much to the horror of the boys, even Near had not even touched his toys for fear of going flying through the window) and giving a cry of victory when she found the desired disc.

She placed the disc in the slot and pulled the music up a bit, Yonekura Chihiro's voice filling the car as she sung "Distance." (1)

She pulled into the special hanger that they had. It was near the edge of the airport and could barely be differentiated from any of the other hangers apart from the fact that the other hangers did not have an assortment of both luxury jets and helicopters in them.

She did not flinch, cars were more her thing, his was flying.

Why, she would never know.

She filed out of the car with ease while the boys had a bit of trouble, adjusting to the fact that they were no longer in danger of dying from a vehicular accident.

But the queued up when they _did _manage to get out. She Wrapped her arms around all of them in a quick embrace (though she just was emulating those people she saw saying there farewells to those they called family.)

Mello went stiff when she did, chocolate that was surely melting in his pocket forgotten. Near simply stayed limp, letting her do what she wanted now that he had regained his composure. Matt, of course, wrapped his arms around her and gave her a cheeky grin when he pushed off.

"C'mon sis! We got a plane to catch! The pilot won't wait forever!" He exclaimed, picking up his backpack. (2)

She simply flashed a smile, "Matt, L most likely wired it to be autopilot. You know how he does not trust anyone with anything that he remotely likes."

And with that, she shooed them off and returned to her car, revving the engine and pulling out in a flurry.

-

She pulled into the garage of hotel they were currently using (Kat had told Watari and L about how she was getting tired of getting information second hand, therefore, they allowed her to leave and go to where, in the words of Matt, "All the action was happening."). It was completely annoying to her, how she had made a dozen comments, more so, K did, and no one could hear it when they put Yagami Soichiro in confinement.

In no time at all, she was inside the hotel room, crouching next to Lawliet, ignoring the fact that the task force was absent.

"Anything new…?" She asked quietly, as if speaking any louder would disrupt Lawliet's train of thought.

He simply shook his head no slowly, bringing his thumb to his lips and biting it. Should he go through with it? The task force was not present, which rarely happened unless, like now, he ordered them to take a respite.

He had researched enough… (Though he always ended up getting caught by Kat someway or another…at least she did not sneak in the "history" of the computer).

And, from what he read and the people he spoke to, all the signs were pointing in the correct direction. But, there was also data saying that a single action could ruin all he had. And then, he had people breathing down his neck saying that he should take a risk and try it or else…the results were likely to be less than …likeable.

Kat looked on at the monitors, settling herself on the arm of Lawliet's chair, leaning back and folding her arms on top of her exposed stomach. She had taken to wearing her usual thin fur parka, bandages and cargo pants since she did not need to worry about going to photo shoots and the like any more. Watari was the one that had fabricated the whole "we arrested Amane Misa and Saionji Tomoe's manager for…" and she all but threw a party consisting of sweets and whatever else popped into her head.

And she was still unaware of Lawliet's pondering.

However, his shifting caused her to sit up. He turned around in the chair, awkwardly, to face her. His blank eyes calculating and made Kat uneasy.

"Um, yes, can I help you?" She questioned apprehensively, trying to make sure that her voice did not crack. (3)

"Yes, actually," He said slowly, almost in a whisper as he started to lean in.

Her eyes were the size of saucers in her unease, the hair on the nape of her neck on edge. This was in no way a comfortable position, what the in the name of justice was he doing?!

His lips pressed to hers; caressing them against hers but in some way she could feel his trepidation through the action. She was unsure what to do but resorted to staying stock still, waiting for it to be over.

He was blissfully unaware of her state until the lack of movement (so audible to him) on her part was noticed mere seconds in.

Lawliet backed away from her, not much, a few inches perhaps, but enough to see her expression, see if her face was covered in disgust or fear.

It was neither of course. She took a shuddery gasp, looking into his pools of gray and voicing her thoughts. "W-what…? What was that?"

"A kiss," he answered simply, hanging on to the single shred of hope.

Then her face morphed into that of incredulity; her brows furrowed, her mouth slightly gaping as she pressed the pads of her fingers to her lips. "What does an American chocolate confection have to do with anything?"

He sighed, disappointed. "Nothing. It is what the action is called, is all." He turned back to the monitor, gloomier than before, drowning in his despair.

Kat's mind was swirling, still hazy from the 'kiss.' What was expected of her?

She traced back to the moment, face flushing for some unknown reason and her stomach churning in a flurry. Oh great, did she have some stomach virus? It happened so often now!

Wait, she was digressing. The 'kiss' was gentle and _had_ to have meant something. Misa was always on about it when they were out on the town doing some publicity activities…And as far as she was concerned, it was mentioned in most books she read.

_But,_ _I _liked_ the way it felt…_

-

_**Author's Note: okay, I love this chapter, and if you have visited my DeviantArt account **_kyosohma04 _**then you would have seen this coming. Eventually at least.**_

_**(1) YouTube it. The one that comes up with a girl holding a guitar is the one that I am referring to. It is the only one that I could find that was remotely good. **_

_**(2) The whole "Matty is so loveable" thing is dedicated to **_BlueHarpy _**but I feel like I am shooting in the dark with this. I am trying my best to make him sound like someone you'd want to glomp without turning him into a **_Naruto Uzumaki_**clone. ^-^**_

_**(3) Okay, so this one is Kat. Kat is the teenage persona. She is that girl that Kew missed out on because of her constant "I had to grow up in a hostile environment." It is easy to describe her as the jittery teenage girl who doesn't know what her name is when one of the male species approaches her. I'll be posting a full character sketch on all the personas if need arises. Just say it in a review and I'll post it. **_

_**-**_

_**Now, on to replies to reviews. **_

Timekeeper101: _**S'ank chu!**_ _**I liked putting her in those positions, making her more animalistic than human is my way of forcing the "she is a PRODUCT OF SCIENCE" into people's mind without actually having to mention it in the story. **_

White Alchemist Taya: _**Nope. She hasn't mentioned anything to him about the shadow behind Light and Misa. She is classifying it as…well, I think I can fit that in to the story somewhere. S'ank chu for reviewing!**_

Shannon55544: _**Wow! I feel special! I'm the only one? Sheesh –goes off in a corner to blush-. Not abandoning! Apparently people actually like it from the number of people on the alerts list and stuff….S'ank chu!**_

_**And my last comment, I have never kissed anyone. This is all my guess work. I have written mature worthy material before and am trying to go on the words that my friends react to the most. They usually are as big of romantics as I am and two out of four of them have actually kissed, the rest of us haven't. If you have any qualms with that, please contact me, otherwise, I'd still like to hear how I did with that particular scene. **_


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Kat kept a steady, but blank, gaze on Lawliet. Still questioning his sanity.

It had been a good many days since he had kissed her, and she had done all the research she could only to find out something that completely baffled her.

But she really should not have been that surprised, Suture had said that it was obvious to all the Wammy children when they were present. Apparently though, she was the one exception, completely blind and unknowing though she was supposed to be this great hybrid of science that knew everything.

The task force were completely ignorant to the tense air that now hovered around the two; of course, what would they base their doubts on? She did not cease her eating habits, sitting posture or calculating stare and Lawliet kept to his wide eyed calculating stare. The only notable difference was how they were stiff for less than a second when their skin happened to brush against each other while reaching for the pocky.

Kat let her head lull back onto the chair reflecting on what she had discovered.

He had said it was a kiss. She had searched high and low (the internet was such a marvelous tool) to find exactly what it meant. But the things that popped up were less than helpful. One would say that "if he kisses you, of _course_ he wants to jump your bones," but what the hell did kissing have to do with physical combat?

Oh, and then there were others that said "if he kisses you in so-and-so place, he feels a certain way towards you." It was all garbage. She tried her fail safe sources, and they came up with the American Chocolate Hershey's Kisses with a side note on "affection." She had searched that one long ago, which led to love, which led to sexual emotions, which led to sexual intercourse (or humans mating, whichever you preferred).

It was completely baffling; she could not find one thing. But she found one, amidst all of the useless garbage that sounded to her like quantum physics would have sounded to an infant.

It was a colorful website, the title highlighted in yellow exclaiming in large black font "Love for Dummies." She was about to give up but then she actually looked through the information.

Kat came down from her cloud and aimed her eyes at the back of Lawliet's raven head as he watched the monitors. And if she was not mistaken; she could sense the horrid humor around him (if the fact that he had actually put four less sugar cubes in his tea than usual was anything). And it was all her fault.

She had completely neglected to see how he had cared for her through the years; when they were at the orphanage and he would bring her books, how he had come to her rescue time and time again and removed her from her suicidal depression in Russia as he burst through the door just as she was about to slit her wrist.

He was always lingering around her, hovering if you will, when she was injured, he had never raised his voice at her (though K surely had, always surprising him by going from soft spoken to a tantrum throwing woman) and he always saw to it that she was safe. He spoke words to her and sought to make her understand more about the human race that she did not, and tried to cope when she was so undeniable moronic…she was such an idiot.

She was the cause of his sudden gloom and that just caused her heart to sink and an unpleasant taste to settle in her mouth.

Oblivious Attraction.

Kat glanced at the clock, sighing when she noted the time.

"I believe it is time for the task force to go home, no doubt that two in the morning is far too late to be out." She spoke only as loud as needed be.

Matsuda about jumped a foot in the air when he heard her, rubbing a hand across his eyes. "No! It's fine Kokoro! We can handle it!" He put on a non convincing groggy smile, bleary eyes fighting to stay open.

"Really, Matsuda," Aizawa almost sighed in exasperation. "You should learn by now that Kokoro is frugal with her words. She'd only say we need to rest if she saw it would hinder the investigation."

"And you should speak for your self," Ide spoke from his seat at a coffee table, setting his pen down from some ruthless paperwork. "You might be young enough to stay up so late, but the rest of us need rest."

"Matsuda-san, you are aware that it was not a request, but an order, yes?" Kat cut in, aiming her unsettling eyes at him, an emotionless façade attaching itself to her features.

The young rookie seemed to grin sheepishly before nodding and gathering his belongings. It was not long before they were all out of sight with only Lawliet's curt comment of "Good night" to disrupt the silence.

And then it was just them again. Now, without everyone there to interrupt them, she could feel the tension even more, so thick she could have sworn she could barely breathe. But it could have just been a bout of nervousness that jumped into her system.

Swallowing whatever jittery emotion had decided to take hold of her, she strode over to Lawliet, sitting on the arm of the chair, lacking her usual grace within her hesitant movements.

Lawliet made a point of ignoring her, though she could not tell whether her senses were picking up on his heartbeat or her own erratically beating organ and pulse. She closed her eyes and took an inaudible breath before lifting her hand and reaching it out, closing it once unsure of his reaction. But then she simply let it fall onto his own (which lied on top his knee) squeezing lightly. She kept on looking at the monitors, hyper aware of the fact that his attention was on her even though he was frozen in the direction of the monitors.

She gave a slight smile, relaxing a bit when his hand flipped over and he twined their fingers.

The website also explained this; it meant "I'll be hear for you, don't ever let go."

But of course, for the two outcasts turned saviors, it meant that and "You/I finally understand."

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	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: I have to say, even if, looking back, I see how odd the last chapter was, I got instant reviews. Is this what everyone's been waiting for? (Please note the teasing sarcasm, of course I knew it!) So, I am guessing now that everyone has seen that the title is in play, and the fact that it will keep in play until I make a sequel. I have all of Oblivious Attraction mapped out in my head with only a few loose ties that I even out with the wonderful _Timekeeper101_ and _BlueHarpy_ (both of which have lovely stories on fanfiction and I am positive that everyone on fanfiction has read _Jizen Keiji_ right? If not, do so right now! There is a sequel up and everything!!!) Oh and any Missions you might see interesting for K to go on? I want/need some ideas because my mission ideas are a bit…'neh.' Oh, and I put a new cover up for this story on DeviantArt if you want to see. I'll post the link up later.**

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**Chapter 26**

**___________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

Lawliet and Kat watched the monitors, it was well into the early hours of the morning; the sky turning a dusty dark blue, but you would not be able to tell from the inside of the hotel room. Kat had made sure all of the curtains were closed, no light could come in or out, and that the chances of being found was zero to nil.

Both of them were, surprisingly, out of their usual fetal-like position, and draped across the couch. Lawliet was on the cushions while Kat was precariously balanced on the very top, the distance from the floor not messing with her equilibrium one bit.

Her ears twitched, tail swayed restlessly as they watched the Kira suspects and Chief Yagami doze on and off.

"You know," Kat said, turning on her side to look down on him, placing her face in one of her hands. "I don't see the reasoning in this. It makes absolutely no sense for Light to throw himself into confinement. He is practically proving that he _is,_ in fact, Kira."

Her ears perked up considerably, "I want a milkshake. Would you prefer your usual strawberry?"

Lawliet suppressed a smile at her sudden change in mood. "I don't either. But what we do know is that this was all a premeditated act. He is plotting something, we just don't know what. Strawberry is fine."

He saw her flit around to the phone as he sat up, placing his thumb to his mouth.

"Hm, a bit…unnerving. Going into this whole mess blind. And he thinks that we believe all of that, 'I did it without being conscious of it,'" She muttered, pressing the buttons for room service lightly, screwing her face up when she heard the annoying clicking of her claws on plastic.

She turned to him, shifting her weight onto her left side, "And what is even more…uneasy about it, is that our opponent rivals our own intellect. Not to mention that he is conniving, always swaying the bias of the task force in his favor." The shrill voice of an attendant drilled in her human ear, annoying her immensely when it was accompanied by static. She rambled off some sweets quietly as Lawliet mulled over what she said.

It was certainly true that the Kira suspect knew who he was dealing with. Furthermore it was safe to say that he thought of it all like a game.

And it was sick.

However much Kat and himself liked to address the cases as games, battles, and war…they never really thought of it as a _literal_ game with the pieces being human beings and the game involving life or death. They both agreed that toying with peoples lives in such a manner was completely disgusting and only those who were sick-minded would. Both of them just preferred to speak in terms that they both were fairly familiar with. Kat had yet to cease learning about humans, as he in some situations; it was something of a silent agreement for them to speak like that.

It was steadily turning into, for lack of a better word, hell.

Despite the fact that it was the most exciting case either of them had had in while, it was becoming a bit too…unpredictable.

They liked being mentally stimulated, but they disliked loosing their advantage.

It used to be that they were free of biased detectives and police, never had to speak to anyone save for Mr. Wammy and it's was just…all in all easier when they were on their own.

"The food should be here any time now," Kat said, glancing at the monitors for a second before turning her eyes to Lawliet's pensive face.

There was a wrinkle between his eyes, and the gray was flashing.

Kat sighed, twirling her hair while taking her usual position, staring at Lawliet's eyes to see the exact moment in which his eyes would deglaze and he would notice that there was another person in the room for him to talk to.

But he was so far gone in his thoughts. He had even gone back to that instance when Kat had tried to repent for making him feel "gloomier than usual."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, but sighed. _

_Knowing Kat, she just Googled everything and was assuming she had done something wrong that would have otherwise been right "if she were either all human, or all cat and not in between." _

"_Kat, what are you doing?" He asked gently, knowing that she was prone to giant mood swings because of the Multiple personalities. _

_She aimed an exasperated gaze at him, jade orbs smoldering with frustration. It conveyed a message, and it was crystal clear to Lawliet; "What am I doing wrong now?" _

_Now, he was far from an expert on these matters, but he knew that she should not be acting because she thought that it would be the "correct" way. Or what _he_ wanted. _

"_I thought it was obvious that I am holding your hand while we watch the suspects and Chief Yagami. "_

_This was one awkward situation. "Kat, it seems that I have been rather…curt with you when it came to dealing with human sentiments…" He began, only to be cut off by his feline friend._

"_But I _do_ understand them now!" She said adamantly. "Human sentiments are explained thoroughly on the internet! I already know about a good deal of them! I just…needed to find out what the kiss meant."_

_He was impassive; taking in the way she almost needed him to understand where she was coming from. "And where did you get this information?" _

"_Love for Dummies, then I checked out 'Kissing,'" She answered quickly, her other hand clasping around his impulsively. _

"_And what precisely did you learn?" He asked, almost afraid that she might have found out about the more nitty-gritty aspects of…romance and humans. _

_Her eyes softened, a small smile pulling at her lips, almost as rare as Lawliet's own smiles. "Many things, one being about caring…and affection…" Then they turned to hard emerald stones. "I don't know _how_ I was so…blind."_

_He took breath, "All I want to know now…is how you feel about the…kiss. More specifically, just analyze your feelings like you do others." He did not intend it to sound the least be harsh, he was just being blunt so that she could understand it on her own terms. _

"…_.My stomach was churning completely, if that means anything…" She furrowed her brows, staring off at a wall. "I liked…how gentle it was. I was just confused at why you were doing it."_

"_Dammit," She growled, putting her arms on either side of Lawliet's head, caging him. "I feel affection, I care for you, no matter how much I denounce my human heritage, and I feel this _emotion_ for you!" _

_That was K for sure. _

"_Now just shut up and accept it!" She muttered huskily, looking into his eyes, urging him on. _

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now, back then, he had not known whether or not the multiple personalities would feel the same when it came to the more complex of human emotions. But it seemed that they all felt the same for the most part.

"Ryuuzaki, your milkshake is melting." She muttered, amused that it had been well over fifteen minutes and he had yet to come out of his pensive stupor.

It was like someone flipped a switch. He took the glass that she was holding in her hands and started to devour it like the other sweets that came into his control.

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"Light-kun, it's only been a week now. Are you all right?" L asked through the microphone as Kat hung like an ominous shadow behind him..

"Yeah... I know I must look pretty bad in here but... this pride... I'll have to... get rid of it." Light said. But the sentence made absolutely no sense so it caused Kat to aim her accusing orbs at his monitor.

The shadow that was floating over Light, it disappeared, whisperings of some words and then Light's eyes lost the sinister cunning that both Lawliet and Kat were so used to seeing.

His expression softened. Then he blinked in confusion. "Ryuuzaki..." Light began. "It's true that I suggested the confinement idea and chose this for myself, but... I just realized that this is pointless!! That's because... I'm not Kira! Let me out of here!" He bellowed hysterically. Kat faltered, twitching when the sound waves reverberated.

"I can't do that. I promised you I wouldn't let you out until I determined whether or not you are Kira. That was also what you wanted." Lawliet replied, more so because he was suspicious of what had just happened, not on Light's wishes.

"I did say that, but... something was wrong with me then! Do you really think that Kira could do such things without being conscious of them?! I don't know what kind of power Kira has, but he definitely exists and has committed these acts by his own free will! I have no consciousness of such acts, so I can't be Kira!" Light argued.

"I, too, do not believe that Kira had no awareness of his actions..." Lawliet admitted. "But if you are Kira, everything still fits if we assume you just can't accept the fact that you're Kira. The killings stopped immediately after you were confined... I believe you are merely hiding the fact that you are Kira!"

Kat winced, covering her ears. This conversation was pointless and hurting her delicate senses. Light was going to stay confined and nothing would change that unless something very crucial to the case arouse.

"Ryuuzaki, listen carefully... I swear I'm not lying... I'm not Kira! I must have been framed. I can think clearly now, and that has to be it." Light pleaded; there was no better way to describe it.

"Framed...?" Lawliet muttered. "Listen, Light-kun. The only people who know you are being confined are the ones in this room. Yet the killings stopped as soon as you were locked up..."

"Then somebody there is Kira!" Light accused, "I'll help you investigate. Let me out!" he begged. "Hurry and let me out, we're wasting time!"

"No, I cannot let you out." Lawliet refused, wheels turning in his head.

"Damn it... why is this happening...?" Light lowered his head. He was falling apart. It was so different from when the shadow was in the room.

"What's going on? This isn't like Light at all... he's taking back what he said earlier and not making any sense..." Aizawa thought aloud, looking at the rest of the task force for some sort of reassurance.

"Maybe the week of confinement has gotten to him...?" Matsuda suggested. "Now that the killings have stopped, there's no way we can end the confinement... even I know that."

"Well, no matter what he says, looks like this case will be resolved with Light Yagami as Kira." Aizawa predicted.

Kat placed her hand on her head, K on the brink of unleashing a cursing fit on all for messing with the volume levels, Kitten was wailing about never being let out which did not help _at all_, and Kew was hanging in the background, not helping with a thing. Sometimes _she_ felt like the eldest of the personas…

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**A/N: Okay, that flashback was getting on my nerves. Please forgive me for typos or if anything is less than what I usually give. I am running on three hours of sleep, some coffee and all that stuff that is completely bad for a teenager.**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Okay, I was overjoyed- no, words cannot describe how happy I was when I met one of my readers at school. She sat behind me in class and kept on quoting the story, and for a second there I thought she knew my own story better then **_**I**_** did!! But then, she said the most tear jerking thing ever. "This story has become my new twilight, no joke!" Then I get a couple of good reviews at a chapter I was considerably a bit ticked off at but not completely unsatisfied, a gajillion people put the story on their alert and favorite-d it! I've been drawing like crazy, dreaming about Oblivious Attraction and a lot more things! This story is becoming my baby so much so, that I look at the episodes and imagine Kat in the background, I have an actress picked out if there was ever a "Oblivious Attraction Live Action Movie" (Erika Toda if you are wondering) and a voice actress (if it were up to me, I'd go on YouTube and record a few scenes from the story with my voice for all of the alter-personas and my friends playing the parts of L, Light, Misa or I could do them all, I have a scary way of imitating people. But it would be Stephenie Sheh, the English voice of Hinata and then Nana Mizuki for her Japanese Seiy****­****uu, it would fit her more soft spoken side well. I'll try to record her voice sometime) **

**Also, **_**Pretty Much A Big Deal**__**, **_**don't be afraid to review. A simple smile :) will suffice my need for reviews. That goes for anyone else who thinks that they have nothing to say, don't sound sincere or anything. Us authors simply love ****any**** type of review. :D**

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**Chapter 27**

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It was hard, going on through monotony for so long.

Kat was itching to go fight, to go on a mission, to do something that involved using her physical prowess and not her mind.

What with being cooped up inside for so long, she was afraid all of her moves would go rusty and we would not want that now would we?

And then, when she had the window open one day, she heard a human saying, "They say 'work gets easier after time,' but I see _nothing _getting_ easier!_"

She could not disagree with that. The only person she knew that seemed to think of life getting easier as it went on was Lawliet, but she did not think it was even valid to think so, seeing as he was one of the few people she had actually taken the time _to know._ (And her other fellow alternate personalities did not count either seeing as Kitten thought everything was a fairly easy game, K was constantly saying that she was the only one who inclined to say anything was "easy." And Kew just hung back, watching everything go by, giving her opinion, but never voiced a substantial view).

She sighed, hand tracing imaginary patterns on Lawliet's hand while letting her eyes glide about the hotel they were in. Aizawa was the only one inside the room besides her and Lawliet, and it was starting to get a bit boring.

Aizawa had similar sentiments; after all, reading last Sundays paper was just boring. Just as he was about to open his mouth to make some useless comment and hopefully start some small talk, Matsuda burst through the door, bellowing a rather loud, "What the hell is going on?!"

Kat covered her ears upon his entrance, sending an icy glare his way. Did he not comprehend that she had _sensitive ears?!_

"Yesterday, two weeks worth of criminals were killed all at once." But that statement quickly silenced her reprimand.

She placed her hand in her hair, twirling it absently. "So, Kira has returned." It was a dull, quiet observation…almost as if she was expecting it.

"Yeah, Kira is back," Aizawa nodded, turning his head to the two super geniuses who did not even show any outward reaction to the startling revelation. But what could he say? He was not all keen on saying that Light was not Kira but it was a relief to know that someone else out there was off killing criminals.

Matsuda strode across the room and completely disregarded both Kat and Lawliet, causing one of her eyebrows to lift at his alacrity.

He pressed the button to Chief Yagami's room, "Chief! Kira has started killing again!"

That caused Chief Yagami to look up quickly, stirring him from what ever reverie he was in. "What?!"

"Kira must have been just resting! He's started killing again!" He said happily, almost as if it was a good thing. _Really, though, this kid seems too buoyant to be on this case. _K noted morbidly.

_Shup! He sure is!!! Ka-chan! Can Kitten come out now? _Said persona asked perkily.

Kat suppressed the sarcastic laugh that was bound to bubble to her lips. _You were saying?_

Uncouth words could be heard within her head. _Shut up,_ K stated curtly, almost like a scolded child.

"Are you sure, Matsuda?!" Yagami-san asked again, "Then my son... I know I shouldn't be happy when people are being killed but... my son... no... This is Ryuuzaki we're talking about... he won't clear him..." He said, the completely accurate conjecture coming to him quick.

Aizawa and Matsuda turned to Lawliet, staring him down while Kat's ear twitched, only half aware of what was going on for Kitten kept on yelling a bunch of nonsense about "_Cool black books" _and "_Swooshing wings._"

"Well, he's in the gray area…" He muttered, hand curling into a fist.

And Matsuda turned to the monitor again, "Did you hear that chief?!"

"Yes…he was _definitely_ guilty yesterday…oh thank god…" He sighed, bowing his head almost as if to pray.

"He's probably one shade from being cleared!" Matsuda shouted. "Now let's tell Light!"

K reacted fast, swiping at his hand, a hiss escaping through her. "Matsuda! Think before you leap! And shut your damn rat trap while you are at it!"

"B-but…" He fumbled, completely startled at the words she practically roared. It was quite a shock compared to her quiet and calm voice.

"Here, Ryuuzaki," She said, grabbing the mike and pulling it towards Lawliet and away from Matsuda.

"Thank you, Kokoro." He said, pressing the button to speak into the mike. "Light-kun…"

The seventeen year old boy looked up resignedly. "What is it Ryuuzaki?"

"It has been two weeks and no criminals have been killed. Are you going to confess to being Kira?" Lawliet questioned. It was a matter of psychological manipulation. Trying to confuse him into submission.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ryuuzaki!" Light cried. "Ryuuzaki, you're wrong. I can understand how you concluded that I was Kira. But this is a trap! I'm not Kira!" He kept on, near hysteria. "Zoom in on my eyes! Are these the eyes of someone who's lying?! Let me out of here, Ryuuzaki!"

K completely ignored him, turning the mike off and grabbing the one for Misa's confinement room. "Amane, do you know who Kira is?" She asked.

Misa heaved a giant sigh. "This again? I wish I knew. Kira is the hero who punished the burglar who murdered my parents."

Kat turned it off and leaned back. This was getting no one, no where. And just when they were getting somewhere.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

She glanced at the clock. _**1:15 AM**_ it flashed.

Kat ran a hand through her locks, over her fluffy ears and down to her neck; holding it.

This was completely insane. It was close to a month and nothing had happened. More people were getting killed.

What were they doing wrong?!

How could it all be silent for two weeks, almost normal if it were not for the lack in criminal activity (due to the then dormant Kira); then _BAM!_ Kira comes back while there prime suspects were under their supervision. It made close to no sense.

Her shoulders slumped forward when nothing came to mind, as if someone had turned her mind off, for it was empty of even a thought from the usually wailing Kitten.

She shook her head and brought her hands down to continue typing on her laptop. It seemed it was all she did as of late. Type, research, type, research, and conclude.

She had a bunch of files and folders on her computer, some labeled "confidential," others "top secret," "Solved Cases," "Awards," and last "Research." (She was all too grateful that Matt had taught her how to use the computer)

Currently, she was absently, as Lawliet put it "Googling." Even if it deterred her from her main focus, it was enough to get her back onto more positive thoughts.

_Hey, Kew,_ She called out into her mind, however much it might have sounded odd to anyone else, it seemed normal to her. _Are you there or not?_

_Of course I am, where the hell else am I going to go? _The responding voice had the same tenor as Kat's own, but the wit and sarcasm reminded her of K far too much.

_Where ever K and Kitten disappear off to? _She asked, just to tick off the 'elder' one.

_Cut to the chase already, Kat._

_Well, do not get all irritated. I just wanted to ask what Kitten was babbling on about a while ago, what with the "books" and "wings." _

Something a kin to a sigh was heard. _It's __**Kitten**__, for justice's sake. She loves to ramble. It's her thing. _

"Act your age for once and please answer the question." She murmured impatiently. Now this was different. It seemed like Kat was starting to take on some of K's unruly temper.

_Fine, _Kew gave in. _You know of that blur that suddenly disappeared?_

"Of course. The laugh still causes the fur on my neck to stand on end…"

_Well, I have a feeling it is to do with them. But then again, it might not. What with the way Kitten just sporadically spouts out information…it's impossible to accurately find what is useful of it. _

And with that, Kew went just as silent as the other personas.

Kat muttered profanities, not at all different than when she would start cursing within the walls of her small inhabitance in 1988. **(1)** She closed the lap top and set it aside before flopping down on the pillows, embracing one of the pillows in a death grip, curling herself into fetal position.

Hirokazu Ukita. Why did he die and she did not? It was something that was bothering her ever since she (or rather the little insufferable brat, Kitten) woke up from 'nearly dying.' According to what Lawliet had said, she seemed all of dead for at least a minute or two. However, the difference was that she had been thrown into a nightmare (a vivid one that had haunted her since she had been saved from the labs in China) while he actually died on sight.

She rolled onto her back, extending on leg and putting on of her hands behind her head.

Right, she had to analyze this thoroughly.

Up until she had appeared, the pattern was constant: go near the building (or present yourself as a police, it seemed as well), you get killed. Conversely, it did not apply when your whole face was covered, or so your body. The wall of police officers with helmets and Chief Yagami were proof enough for that theory.

Then she comes in, within the area of which the people were getting killed, searches through the windows and gets a glimpse of the blonde haired girl.

And then, on another instance, when both Misa and herself are on there own at a café, she is forced to leave the establishment clutching her chest while running off to the hotel at her inhuman speed.

In both instances, Amane Misa was present. But that was a moot point; she already knew the model was the second Kira.

And it was proven that Kira had to kill with both a name and a face…so was it possible for the second Kira to have had some other way to find out a person's name? It was possible.

No. It was completely plausible and fit in with what Amane had managed to convey to her via the diary entry. It was close to impossible for someone like Amane to figure out all of her aliases when not even the task force, people who were trained to do such things, could decipher even her explanations.

So Amane could somehow see her Aliases.

Except that still did not help with the matter of _why_ Ukita had died and _she_ hadnot. They both had aliases so that was not the variable that separated her from him.

And she could bar the fact that she had multiple personalities because according to the medical profiles of some of the celebrities that were killed, one or two had multiple personality disorder as well.

She heaved a sigh, closing her eyes.

Ukita was male: she was female. No, that was completely irrelevant; Kira did not discriminate against gender.

Ukita was twenty-six years of age: she was twenty-four. And that was completely extraneous as well. Kira did not kill within any specific age group.

Her tail twitched irritably.

But then her eyes snapped open, and she came shooting up.

Ukita was _human! _She was only _half_ human!

_Of course! It makes sense now! Whatever weapon Kira uses to kill is specifically engineered so that it only affects humans! How could I have missed the most obvious difference?!_


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Okay, I am writing this in the school library (being a Library Aide has its perks), on one of the computers. Special thanks to **Special Agent Cuppa Jo **(you know who you are young lady :) ) **Timekeeper101, White Alchemist Taya, michi-nin **and** BlueHarpy **For support, tips, corrections and or for helping out with the story. **

**Disclaimer-thingy-majigger: Uh, yeah. If owned Death Note, L would have (NEVER NO WAY IN ALL SEVEN HELLS AND ALL THE GALAXIES AND UNIVERSES) died at the indirect hand of Kira, Mello would so hook up with **_**someone**_ **cause he just seems like that, Matt would have a bigger part and BEYOND BIRTHDAY WOULD BE MENTIONED! Is anyone else pissed that BB was never mentioned TT-TT? Wait, what's the point of this again? Oh, yes, I only own Kat, her alternate personalities, Suture and the little ups and down that come with this story **_**YOU NO STEALIE! **_

_**Listening to Death Note OST 3 – Confronting (Taiji)**_

**___________________________________________________________________________________________________**

_**Chapter 28**_

**___________________________________________________________________________________________________**

It was day fifty of the imprisonment.

It was so dreary around the hotel room, so empty.

Kat, dutiful and loyal, was sitting next to Lawliet, her lips turned down the slightest bit. She had told Lawliet her conclusion a little over two weeks ago, but even as she babbled on in excitement (the task force was absent, since they did not suffer from insomnia) she noticed the darkening of his eyes.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"_What's wrong?" She asked, the alacrity seeping out of her system. _

_He seemed to blank out for a moment before stating, "Even if this is something that will probably change course of the investigation, we cannot use it when we file our report on the case."_

"_Why?" _

"_Because, we do not need anyone coming barging through the doors of Wammy's, our hotel room or anywhere else wanting to get a hold of you." The gravity of his voice caused her mood to take a complete U-turn. _

"_Naturally," The despondent tenor of her voice quickly turning into scorn. "Humans and their idiotic sense of curiosity."_

_She took a deep breath before leaning back. Staring at the monitors blankly._

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lawliet leaned forward, pressing the button to one of the confinement rooms. "Are you okay, Yagami-san? There is no reason for you to keep on doing this."

Chief Yagami was sitting with his elbows resting on his knees, looking down at the floor. "It's been over a month now that criminals have started getting murdered again…I have concluded that my son is not Kira…Now, Ryuuzaki, you only have to attest to it." He turned his head towards the camera, so that his unshaven face and disheveled hair could be seen. "When I get out of here, it will be with my son."

_Dumbass. _K's murmurs were heard. _Though he seemed like an unbiased man early on…he just doesn't want to admit that anyone related to him can be Kira. Showing such favoritism even when all the evidence pointed towards his son being a mass murderer. _

_You can't judge him like that. We have never had a biological family, _Kew admonished, even though she disliked his bias as much as all the other personas. _Therefore, we cannot judge upon what we do not know._

_Man, stop talking so cryptically a put a sock in it. _K hissed vehemently.

_Please be quiet, I'm trying to listen! _Kat said, unknowingly narrowing her eyes into a glare at the monitors.

_Fine._

"The Chief is stubborn, too," Matsuda whispered to Aizawa, cupping his hand around his mouth almost as if to prevent anyone else from hearing in the otherwise dead silent room.

He switched microphones again, taking the one for Light's room. "Light-kun, are you alright?"

The teenager was lying on his side in his cell. "Yeah… I'm alright but…" He turned his more towards the camera, showing how much the confinement had worn him down. "Ryuuzaki…the criminals have stopped dying since I've been detained…From this, I think that there is a high possibility that Kira is someone who is aware of my current situation. With that angle…"

Before he could even finished his sentence, Lawliet interrupted him. "No. Criminals haven't died because you are Kira."

"That's wrong. I'm not Kira. How many times do I have to tell you?" He questioned almost angrily.

_If he were Kira, the he should've known that the murders would start again…it doesn't look like it though…_Lawliet pondered, remaining completely impassive on the outside.

"Ryuuzaki is messed up…to insist on not letting Light-kun know that criminals are being murdered." Aizawa muttered. Were they not aware that the second set of ears on the top her head were not for decoration? Were they ignorant to the fact that one of her cat ears was facing towards them?

"Amane," Lawliet called. She was slumped over, much in the same was as Yagami-san but since she was tied to a chair and in a straight-jacket.

"…Yes?"

"You look down, are you okay?" Kat twitched. That was a completely idiotic question.

"……You're stupid aren't you." And apparently Amane had similar sentiments. "If I didn't look unhappy after several weeks of this, then I'd be insane."

_Who are you kidding? You _are_ insane, plodding about like an idiot and yelling out that you support Kira._

_Shut up, K, we're trying to listen. _Kew muttered angrily.

"Yes, you're right." Lawliet said.

"…For once…" K mumbled, sighing the slightest bit.

"Let me go already…I want to see Light…Light…" Her incoherent sentences, the state she was in, made Kat shiver a bit. Why the hell did she consent to this? It was too much like when she was in the labs and they were giving her a mental stability test.

"All three of them seem to be at their breaking points…" Matsuda assumed, just as Aizawa turned his head quickly in the direction of the monitors, striding behind both Kat and Lawliet. "Ryuuzaki…why are you keeping Light-kun captive? He should be freed. By doing that, the chief will also come out." Kat leaned back, turning towards him, stoic.

"I mean, criminals have been getting murdered without those two receiving any information. That should tell us enough."

"No…" Lawliet stated simply, taking one last sip from his tea. "Amane's obsessive love toward Yagami Light is just about all we've found out."

"Ryuuzaki…I'm sorry, but from what I can see, all you-re doing is refusing to admit that your verdict of Light being Kira was wrong." He yelled, making Kat wince. What was with this task force and deciding to burst her ear drums?

And Aizawa was quickly getting on her bad side. Was all of the task force plagued with favoritism?

"So that is what you think after all." He never took his eyes off of the monitor.

"As Light-kun said, Kira killed Lind. L Tailor and the FBI agents. If people can be killed without any publication and information collected, then there wouldn't be a point to kill Tailor or the FBI agents. There is no end no matter how much you investigate. Kira doesn't commit any unnecessary murders. That's something you stated yourself." He finished, panting a bit. And K was quickly going to loose her temper with these people if they kept on ranting without ever trying to read between the lines, as the saying went.

"…I see…If he's able to kill people in this situation, then he could've left the FBI agents alone with no worries." Matsuda exclaimed. Kat raised an eyebrow, did he expect to get some sort of reward for summarizing what had been said over and over and over again?

"Nothing was---"

"Found in the search of Yagami Light's house. Only a notebook of his work on this investigation was discovered from his shelf under a fake board…and the last line read 'I might be Kira…' We are all well aware of this, Aizawa-san." She interrupted him, guessing what he was about to saying from his previous speech.

"But that's my point! It's been fifty days now! There is no point in doing this. Instead, we should be thinking about how to catch the real Kira!!" He shouted.

Lawliet licked his thumb, an act that made Kat's stomach to churn. "I understand…" His eye flickered to Kat's, motioning to the microphone with his chin. She nodded, reaching for it.

"Yagami-san."

"Yes, Kokoro?"

"Ryuuzaki and I need to tell you something in person. Would you please come back to the hotel right away? Ryuuzaki would like you to hear his decision on the case, starting with you, Light's father."

He was silent for a moment before yielding to it.

Upon his arrival, Kat ushered Aizawa and Matsuda out of the room and into a sitting room, already knowing exactly what was being said do to the fact that Lawliet and herself had discussed what would happen should a situation like the one they were in arose.

"Kokoro-san, why have you never tried to sway Ryuuzaki if you knew what was going on?" Aizawa asked, quietly, giving her a hard look. "Do you have something against Light?"

"Hardly," She said, leaning against a wall and crossing her ankles. "The only reason I refrained from doing that was because I know Ryuuzaki. Though his methods are unorthodox, they are far less gruesome then anything I might come up with."

He was about to open his mouth but she silenced him with one hand. "We may seem like two sick and twisted delinquents, Aizawa-san, but we have solved a great many cases with these methods of ours. Be thankful that Ryuuzaki chose to confine them, for what I was thinking was more vivid then your worst nightmare." That was a bluff, but he seemed convinced by it. "It's a wonder I even let the prime suspects of the investigation anywhere near my house." She said, turning her head to look out the window at the blue sky, watching the crows fly by. It was a clear sign that she wished to continue the conversation no longer.

**______________________________________________________________________________________________________**

**3 days later**

**______________________________________________________________________________________________________**

K walked the dank streets, turning this way and that. She was intent on finding it.

One of her associates had some information for her.

She slinked through the shadows, adjusting her sunglasses every once in a while and then making sure her hood stayed over her head, concealing the myriad hues of dyed crimson in her hair (her ears were well concealed, and safe from the temporary chemical change).

She was originally planning on staying at the hotel with Lawliet, or even going to Suture's house and seeing if she had anything worth doing other than watching two teenagers flail around in desperation as they were hauled away to their 'execution.'

Her now vermillion eyes landed on another hooded figure, half hidden in an alleyway, but her eyes had no trouble deciphering him.

"What information do you have for me?" K deliberately lowered her voice, making sure it sounded like nothing she used when on missions. If she was discovered to be Agent K _here_ than her death would be inevitable. She had enough enemies as it was.

"Yea', hullo to you, too, Eve," The man spoke in a sort of Irish brogue.

"Just get to the damn point, Artemis. You know I have little tolerance for small talk." Her voice was dangerous, and made the older man wince.

"Right, forgot," He said, rubbing the back of his head in a nervous habit. "Well, my sources in Kanto tell me that no one from their sector have been up to anything."

"This is to be expected, Artemis. Kira is back, and is killing again. It would cause any criminal to be frightened to mug a decrepit old woman." She muttered, starting to think that she should have stayed back at the hotel. "Do you have anything _useful_ for me?"

"Y-yes, actually, I think you might want to come inside for this." He walked up to metal door, opening it for her and making a grand motion with his hands. "Ladies first, Eve."

She nearly gagged. Such a false sense of chivalry.

"Whatever." It was the latest phrase she had learned on the street.

Upon her entrance, Artemis followed, guiding her through to the front, where a murky bar was located. He pulled down his hood revealing hazel eyes, an aristocratic nose, small mouth and shaggy brunette hair.

She let her own hood fall revealing her altered appearance to all of the customers of the bar. A hush fell upon all of the inhabitants, as heads turned her way.

"Hey, Inoue! Eve-sama is here! Get me my usual and the lady a bottle of whisky, she's gonna need it later!" Artemis yelled out towards the back as they both took a seat at the bar. Then he quickly turned around to the rest of the humans.

"What the hell are all of you looking at? Mind your own goddamn business!" He bellowed, sending a deathly glare their way.

They waited, patiently and in dead silence until Inoue, a haggard man that was missing a few yellowed teeth, brought them a bottle of whisky and a bottle of hot Sake with some cups. K merely nodded at Artemis once Inoue went to the other side of the bar, cleaning some glasses with a stained rag.

"Tell me of your news before you get piss drunk." She muttered in English, narrowing her eyes at him when he rose a challenging eyebrow.

"Fine, it seems to me that someone pretty damn rich has built a giant skyscraper in the middle of Tokyo, preferably L," He stated simply, pouring himself some Sake.

"What else?" She questioned, placing her elbow on the counter after surreptitiously wiping it with a napkin.

"Also, with the sudden absence of Amane Misa, Saionji Tomoe, and their manager we have concluded that one among them might be Kira. Adding on to that, someone is targeting the 'business' corporation in Shinjuku that the Inagawa-kai (1) recently obtained."

K nodded in comprehension, before standing up, placing a roll of bills on the counter in front of Artemis. "Your assistance is appreciated." She said in Japanese. And with hat she swept out of the bar, back through the alleys, and disappearing into the shadows.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

K snuck into the hotel room mutely, frowning when she saw Light chained to Lawliet. She was gone for a little over an hour and she finds that the plan had been executed and apparently all at the cost of her figuring out how aware the underworld was of Kira's movements.

"Doing this with guys is kinda gross…are you that type, Ryuuzaki-san? You were together with Light at the university…" Misa was whispering, a sneaky look on her face.

Lawliet scratched his chin. "I am not doing this because I want to."

"But Light is Misa's Light…and if you're with him 24-7 then when is Misa going to go on dates with Light?" She demanded loudly.

"On dates, it will be the three of us," He said.

"Don't you dare think that I am going to let you loose any possible sanity you might have, Ryuuzaki." Kat said, moving across the room towards where he was, sweeping a lock of her crimson hair behind her ear, an annoyed visage on her features.

"What?! Are you telling me that when I kiss him, it going to be in front of you two!?"

_Please, don't make me laugh. _K said cynically. _As if I would ever let you kiss anyone within my presence. Sorry, _our_ presence. _

"We never said you had to kiss him, right? However, we will be observing."

"HUUUUUH? What's with that?! I knew it! You are a pervert!"

"Light-kun, can you please make Misa-san be quiet?"

Then she turned on Kat. "And you! What are you; his bisexual girlfriend?!"

And that was the straw that broke the camels back. "Why you little--! I am heterosexual you little wench! I have half a mind to- mmmph mmmph mmph!!!" But, before she could turn her verbal assault into a full out fight, Lawliet had slapped his hand onto her mouth, pulling her towards him as she tried reach the hormone ridden love sick teenager.

"Sooner rather than later, Light-kun," Lawliet urged him.

"Misa, don't be so obstinate. You should be thankful that you can still go free even thought it's been proven that you were the one who sent those videotapes." Light tried to sway her, quickly making it so that her attention was solely on him.

"Huh? Even you, Light? Misa is your girlfriend, right? You can't trust your lover?" She asked, giving him strange doe eyes that made K's eye and ear twitch.

_If anyone else other than Lawliet were trying to stop me, then they would find them selves in a great deal of pain right now…_

"E-even if you say you're my girlfriend, you're the one who fell in 'love at first sight' and came after me…" That troublesome word again, K was about ready to go shoot whoever created it.

Misa ran towards Light, banging on his chest, sobbing out; "Th-then when I told you I 'liked you' you decided to turn it into your advantage and kissed me?"

_You can use kissing to your advantage…? _Kat thought, letting her eyes wander off to the irate Aizawa and Yagami that were sitting on the couch.

"About falling in love at first sigh…" He let go of Kat in favor was walking up in front of Misa. For some reason, it sparked her anger again. "It was on May 22nd at Aoyama, right, Misa-san? You were with Tomoe-san?"

"Yes." She answered, half suspicious of what he was trying to get at.

"That day, why did you go to Aoyama? What were you wearing when you went there?"

Misa on anger seemed to have flickered back, "How many times do I have to say that I just went there on a whim? I don't remember how I felt or what I was wearing that day at all. Is it wrong for Misa to wander around Aoyama without a reason?" She barked, getting up in his face.

"Then after you went to and came back from Aoyama you knew the name of Light-kun who you'd fallen in love with." He kept on with his miniature interrogation.

"Yes."

"But you don't know how you knew his name." He was nose to nose with her now, and the anger was bubbling into fury.

"And what of Saionji Tomoe?" K resisted the snicker that was bound to rise, Misa was completely clueless to the fact that she was standing _in the same room as "Tomo."_

"I don't remember! Alright?!"

He seemed to come to a realization, eyes widening, about the only way the rest of the task force would ever figure out that he was just as capable of emotions as the rest of them. "Well then…if Light-kun happened to be Kira, then what would you think?"

This caught the small blonde model off guard. "Huh!?"

She latched onto Light's arm, looking at him pensively. "If Light was Kira?..."

"Yes." Oh, now Kat saw what he was doing. She quickly made her way over so that she was side by side Lawliet, arm bumping against his.

"That would be the best. Misa has always been grateful to Kira who executed the murderers of my parents. If Light was Kira, then I would love Light even more!" She almost sang, leaning her head against Light's arm.

She gave Light a coy look, "Although I already love you to the point where I can't love you any further."

Kat had had enough with being silent. "You realize that this is Kira we are talking about, right? Saying 'I would love you even more'…are you not frightened at all?" She asked, looking down at the significantly short girl.

"You're saying if Light was Kira right? There's nothing to be scared of. Misa is a fan of Kira. Rather then being afraid I would try to be useful to him."

"You would be more in the way than useful," She spat, still not over the fact that the little blonde called her bisexual.

"However, with this there is no doubt that Misa is the second Kira." Lawliet concluded, putting his finger to his lip. "It's becoming so obvious that I begin to want to not believe it…"

"You would be right, even if you didn't think it, Misa is not Kira." She exclaimed indignantly, turning her face away in what would be disgust.

"Anyways, I will place Misa-san under surveillance."

Kat twitched, tuning everything out until Aizawa had a temper tantrum similar to her own. "WILL YOU JUST STOP IT WITH THE TALK ABOUT HOMOS AND DATES AND KISSING AND MISA-MISA ALREADY?!! THIS IS THE INVESTIGATION ON KIRA, UNDERSTAND!? YOU NEED TO BE MORE SERIOUS ABOUT IT ALL!"

K twitched and stood up, grabbing the girl by her arm, "I completely agree with Aizawa-san here. To ease the tension, I think that it would be best if we lock Amane in her room." She said, pushing her into her room, and slamming it shut.

"Now, please excuse me, I must go return my hair to its natural color." _And perhaps go beat the stuffing out of a punching bag or two…_

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_**A/N: I have no qualms against Misa, she is one of my favorite characters. So no shouting at me for it. Anyways, this way there is comic relief. **_


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Kat twitched a bit, sitting as far away on the couch from Misa as possible, turning slightly almost as if to shield her sushi and sashimi bowl.

They had quit the habit of hotel jumping and settled for the building that Lawliet and her had paid for (while she pulled some strings and made sure that the building was finished during the time allotted while Mr. Wammy made sure she did not shove a dagger into anyone whilst trying to achieve her task).

It was both a chore and a relief for her to be in the "apartment" that Misa had acquired, what with being under surveillance for any Kira-like behavior. A chore because she had to deal with the nonsensical babble that Misa might come up with, trying to find more reasons to doubt Kat's sexual orientation, or Lawliet's for that matter. And a relief because it was at any rate better than starring at monitors for hours on end, making sure that no criminal could ever possibly find them, and actually getting to witness Lawliet using his subtly sardonic retorts. But the latter was more of a luxury, she supposed.

"Hey… this doesn't feel like a date like this…" Misa nagged; the back of her hand on her cheek with the elbow on the couch, the very reason why Kat had scooted away from her.

_And she accuses _us_ of being anything but heterosexual._

"You don't have to mind us," Lawliet responded, stuffing the last large chunk of cake into his mouth. His eyes quickly turned to Misa's uneaten cake, holding onto the fork in his mouth and pressing his tongue to it, to savor any flavor it might have picked up. "Are you going to eat that?" He asked around the fork, pointing.

"…I watch the sweets because they make you fat…" It was almost desolate sounding. Kat leaned her head back, holding a shrimp over her mouth before dropping it in.

"If you use your head, you won't get fat even if you eat sweets." He said simply.

_Oh yes, because the fact that Mr. Wammy puts flavorless vitamins in our food and we practive self defense has _nothing_ to do with it_. It seemed that K was feeling extra snippy today. No doubt the blonde sitting next to her was a factor in that problem.

"Oh! There you go making fun of me again…" Her eyebrows came together, almost evilly. "How about if I give you the cake, will you two leave Light and me alone together?"

"Even if I leave you two alone together I can watch form the cameras so it's the same thing."

"I told you that's perverted! Will you stop with that kind of fetish!?" How could anyone achieve that decibel of shrillness, or make their voices go up so many octaves? (1)

"Say what you want," He leaned forward on the couch, grabbing the plate. "But I will be taking the cake."

"Well fine. When I'm alone with Light then I'll close the curtains and turnoff the lights." Was that 'evil' look supposed to look like she was sniffing something rancid?

"It's also infrared camera." He kept shooting her down.

"Not that I'd need a damn infrared anything to see…" Kat muttered, wadding multiple pieces of fish in her mouth, crossing her eyes when Light gave her an appalled look.

_Hell if we care whether Kira boy likes our eating habits or not. _K was definitely _not_ a good influence on Kat, but then again, Kat was meant to represent a more teenage version of the person they were…so the defiant and disrespectful attitude came with the territory.

She turned her head towards her 'love,' "So should we cover ourselves with the futon, Light?:

He seemed to disregard her completely, turning to Lawliet. "More importantly, we moved to a head-quarters that had the equipment but you don't seem to have any kind of motivation, Ryuuzaki."

"Mo…'more importantly;…that's mean…"

"Please be quiet," Kat eyed her a bit before shoving a pair of chopsticks at her, holding her bowl of seafood heaven towards her. "Here, this is completely healthy. If you don't eat with some variety you'll die, Amane-san." Truthfully, though the girl was a complete ignoramus, Kat could not refrain from hearing the nearly silent growls of her stomach.

"Oh! Thank you, Kokoro…" She said, settling the bowl in between them both, and going for the octopus first.

"Motivation…? I don't have any…I'm actually depressed."

Kat's head snapped up in alarm (albeit quietly, just like you would pay no mind to a house cat when it darted out of a room). He was depressed?

"Depressed?" Light asked, a similar visage of alarm on his face.

"Yes. It's just because I kept thinking you were Kira." He put a very large piece of cake in his mouth, wet bits flying out while he talked. "It's just a shock that that theory was wrong." His gunmetal eyes turned to the hand cuffs, lifting it up to eyelevel, and answering an unspoken question. "No, I still have suspicions about you. That's why we are doing this."

"However, Kira was able to control peoples' actions. So…" He took a moment here to swallow, just as Kat's claws began to dig into the palm of her hands, leaving little pink indentations. "Kira controlled you in a way I'd suspect you…" He put his fork down, placing his hand on his knees and staring straight at Kat, who suddenly felt an immense amount of…she didn't know what to call it, but she just thought she should have been able to tell he was depressed.

"Kira controlled you and Misa-san…If I think of it that way then the ends meet…but why you two are still alive is the part that doesn't make sense." Throughout the length of his soliloquy, Light's eyes were narrowing. "Of they were controlled and killed without any awareness, and then they would've just been victims. I'll have to start investigating from the beginning. Back to the starting point."

"If Kira found and controlled you because you were capable of stealing the police's information and made it so that I'd suspect you…Then even I'd be bitter. I'm very down about it."

That seemed horrible. Hadn't she tried to live her life making sure that he had everything he might need at his disposal, her and Watari both. But then, after nearly two decades of working together, she can't even spot his emotions. Or he hid them too well for her detect…but Light could.

Her own mood spiraled down into a metaphorical abyss; she ignored the bowl of fish, the thought of one of her favorite foods now making her a bit nauseous.

Light crossed his arms. "Ryuuzaki…with that theory, would Misa and I, although controlled, have been Kira?"

"Yes, there'd be no question about that. You are both Kira."

This earned him glares from Misa and Light. "The way I see it, when you were detained, you were Kira. And when you were detained the criminals stopped dying. Until that point, you being Kira makes sense. However, after two weeks, the criminals started dying again. From that, this next assumption is a possibility."

"Kira's power passes on from person to person." A shiver went down Kat's spine. That blue that was always hovering over Light and Misa up until, could that have been Kira's power, or a metaphysical representation of Kira's power? "The second Kira's video also said "share the power."

"…It's an interesting thought, but if Kira was able to do that then there is no way to catch him." _Light's actually considering this…wow. First time he doesn't shoot something down with a "I'm not Kira." _K was unaffected by the desolate mood that had taken hold of the rest of the mental space she shared.

"Yes…that's why I am stuck. Controlling someone to kill criminals. If that person gets caught, then the powers transfer to someone else, and their memories disappear…there would be no closure by catching them…"

"But that hasn't been officially decided yet. WE still don't know enough about Kira." Light countered. "Bring out some motivation." He placed his hand on Lawliet's shoulder.

"Motivation?" Lawliet turned his head to the ceiling, finger toying with his lip. "I can't bring much out…No, it's not a good idea to try too hard. By trying to hard to chase, we put our lives at greater risk…don't you think? To think how many times I thought I was going to die…"

Light stood up quickly. "Ryuuzaki…" Lawliet turned to look at him, picking up his mug of coffee.

He rammed his fist into Lawliet's jaw, causing them both to go flying towards a wall. On instinct, Kat bent backwards, flipping over the couch and using it as a sort of shield. Anger bubbled up in her chest once she noticed that Lawliet had been injured. She stood up straight, glaring fiercely at the two.

"That hurts." Lawliet stated more than complained.

"Don't be ridiculous. Because I'm not the real Kira; because your theory was wrong, you have no motivation? Are you getting sulky?"

Lawliet wiped his mouth. The red mark on the pale skin of his cheek was bound to become a bruise. "I may have phrased it awkwardly…Let's not make a move because the situation might just get worse."

K made a move to walk over their and ram her fist into Light's own jaw but grimaced upon looking down at the small hand that had her arm in a vice grip.

"What are you talking about? If we don't move then there is no way to catch him. Who's the one that told Kira that he'd bring him to execution on TV?" Light grabbed a fistful of Lawliet's shirt, stretching the oversized shirt even more. "How many police, FBI, announcers, and other innocent people do you think got involved!? And aren't you the one who detained Misa and me?"

K ripped her hand from Misa grip, gritting her teeth and tensing her muscles for anything that might happen. Sure, stopping the fight would have been useful and less destructive, but everyone needs to vent. And, she had to admit, this way was a bit more entertaining (however, the anger was bubbling under the surface, replacing her earlier desolation).

"I know…But…no matter what-" He swung himself around, kicking up with a swift capoeira move. This sent Light flying across the room, Lawliet flying right after him. "One time is one time."

They both landed on the couch, sending it falling to the ground. "Instead of the theory being wrong…It's more like 'Yagami Light equals Kira, Amane Misa equals Second Kira doesn't solve the case. That's why I'm a bit down. Is that wrong as a human being?"

"Yes it's wrong." Light muttered. That just confused the hell out of Kat. The conversation, well, more of argument, was sending her mood further down. Only human beings could? Or was it because Light had denied Lawliet of the most basic of human emotions? "Besides, from the way you say it you sound like you won't be satisfied unless I am Kira."

"I'm not satisfied unless you are Kira?" That position he was in was almost a carbon copy of how she preferred to be in, however, he was slouched forward more than she ever would for the sake of defense. She had tried to right his bad defense posture but he just countered, ending with her muttering foully about it being him that was going to be kicked in the head, not her.

"…I see…That might be true…I just realized that…it…it's like…I wanted you to be Kira…"

And this time, Light rammed his fist into Lawliet's nose, but they did not go flying about this time.

_Yagami Light…hitting me seriously due to my giving up…is he not Kira? No, the probability of him pretending while having shared Kira's powers with someone else to kill criminals isn't zero….besides Kat would have told me immediately if she sensed anything like that happening. _

"One time is one time. I'm pretty strong you know." The way they were flinging each other around the room was starting to annoy her. Not to mention Misa was cowering behind a plant, covering her ears and eyes.

Both men had each other by their shirts, fists aimed to punch while K slinked around them, searching for a broom to whack them over the head with. _No way in hell am I about to risk a broken knuckle to separate these two. _

_For the sake of---! Have some mercy! One of them is our best friend! _

_Oh well…_K spotted her queries just as the phone rang. She sighed and headed towards it.

"Wha?" She asked, annoyed.

"_Kokoro! Good news!" _Matsuda's voice resonated through her ears.

"Well? What is it?"

"_Misa-Misa is number one on the eighteen readers' popularity poll. The two-month disappearance actually became a buzz and helped out." _K did not respond. "_C'mon Kokoro! Tomo got second! This means that Misa-Misa is sure to star as the heroine in Nishinaka's next film! And maybe if you come out of---!" _K dropped the phone back on the receiver.

"What happened?" Light asked.

"Matsuda being an idiot… but what is new with that particular situation?"

"Matsuda-san does have a natural air of ignorance…" Lawliet muttered.

-

After having cleaned up Misa's room, Kat had pulled Lawliet out of the room, and up to their floor. (She had made some specifications to Watari of how their temporary living quarters were to under no circumstance be monitored by the rest of the task force.) After having locked Light in a different room (forcefully) looking at a camera and giving the rest of the task force some instructions while she marched to the elevator.

She sent her best friend to go sit on the bed, while she went to get the first aid kit from the bathroom.

Her mind could not comprehend the fact that Lawliet had outright admitted that he was depressed. And he did not tell her?

Or perhaps she was expected to know already…Either way, she was going to make sure he was fine….she was not capable of correcting his emotions and thoughts but she _could_ try and fix up his injury.

She walked back into the room. It had all the lavish things that the rest of Lawliet's estates had (something she had learned was common with him ever since he was little, but she did not pry) in hues of gold and copper, it was almost soothing.

Kat took her seat next to him on the bed, opening the first aid kit and taking out a cotton ball and some rubbing alcohol. She fumbled around a bit, refusing to use her thumb, before she got it right. She wanted to do this perfect.

Lawliet watched her every move, from the way she huffed silently when the cotton ball fell out of her hand to the way her eyes lit up when she succeeded, a soft "meow" of satisfaction leaving her throat almost involuntarily. And then, how she leaned so close to him, brush his stubborn raven locks out of the way, pink tongue sticking out in concentration. She was about to put the swab to his cheek when her green eyes darted over to him. "This might sting a bit…."

Lawliet merely nodded; a sign for her to go on. And low and behold, the cold of the swab on his cheek provided an uncomfortable feeling. But his eyes stayed trained on her face, not unaware of how she was doing her best to be gentle, something she was not used to.

Before he knew it, she had placed a band-aid on his cheek, smoothing it out so that there would be no wrinkles.

Her eyebrows furrowed, hand caressing the side of his face softly before she put her other hand on her own skin. He chuckled at her child-like curiosity.

At the soft sound, her eyes focused in on him, then made to take away her hand. On impulse, Lawliet put his own hand of to hers.' He always thought it odd how she was so small yet not at the same time. She was perhaps an inch or two bigger on everything than Misa but she was taller. Therefore, it was odd for him to be able to put his hand on hers and see how tiny it was compared to his though _he_ was only three inches taller than him.

He leaned towards her, eyes never leaving hers. She was completely lax, a distant part of her mind still floundering about to figure out why her stomach was flopping around.

He paused mere millimeters away from her mouth, his lips parted ever the slightest. He was waiting to see if she got what was going on.

Her hand moved to his shoulder as she pressed her lips gently to his, albeit a bit apprehensively.

Lawliet was keener on how she reacted this time, now moving his lips against hers slowly, coaxing her to do the same while one hand moved to her own cheek and the other steadied his awkward position on the mattress. Her eyes had long ago fluttered close. Barely a coherent thought came to her, all the other personas were quiet and she was content.

No. Better than content.

But all too soon, they separated, the need for air pulling at their lungs. Their quiet pants, the red tint on their cheeks, the way that they were so warm…and the heavy, glazed eyed look that they had as they looked at each other…

Lawliet took hold of her lips again, however this time; he sneaked his tongue into her mouth, exploring everything that was to do within the small space.

It surprised her, but she complied nonetheless, mimicking him.

Kat's hands, which had come down to his shirt at some time or another, were something he just noticed as they surreptitiously made their way around his midsection, pushing both their chests together.

…

**A/N: If I do not get a lot of reviews from this…I don't know what I will do. Please note, this will be continued in the next chapter. Yes, I know, I'm evil that way leaving you on a cliffhanger. Just want some reviews. My friends say that I am the queen of writing anything relatively…passionate (they have forced me to write copies of this Lime I once did…). So, expect something more or less…I dunno. I don't know what to compare it to. **

**Timekeeper101:**I hoped you like this nee-chan. I sound like such an odd kid writing this, ne? Yeah, Kat reacting that way to Misa's accusation looks a bit funnier now that I look at it. But it's hard for me to compliment my own work because I generally have a habit of pointing out the flaws more than anything.

**ActionFry:**Thank you for reviewing. Yep, Misa is there to annoy everyone. I hope you, too, enjoyed this chapter.

**And to the rest of you, REVIEW OR YOU SHALL NOT SEE THE NEXT PART OF THIS BY TOMORROW! I am going on a 2 week trip on Friday so you will not be able to see the conclusion of this unless you REVIEW FOR PETE'S SAKE!!!! Ja ne, till tomorrow I hope. **


	30. Chapter 30

_But all too soon, they separated, the need for air pulling at their lungs. Their quiet pants, the red tint on their cheeks, the way that they were so warm…and the heavy, glazed eyed look that they had as they looked at each other…_

_Lawliet took hold of her lips again, however this time; he sneaked his tongue into her mouth, exploring everything that was to do within the small space._

_It surprised her, but she complied nonetheless, mimicking him._

_Kat's hands, which had come down to his shirt at some time or another, were something he just noticed as they surreptitiously made their way around his midsection, pushing both their chests together._

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The pause did not go unnoticed by Kat. However, instead of writing it off as an abnormality, she chose to wade it out. But luckily, she did not have to wait long.

Though when he did come back from whatever thought that had taken hold of him, she found her back against the soft comforter. His lips had disappeared from hers, hunting along from her collar bone to the bottom of her ear, leaving wet butterfly kisses in his wake. Her hands were prickling with the slightest bit of perspiration, untangling from his shirt and clawing into the fabric of the comforter; it was certainly better than digging her dangerous nails into his back.

His breath feathered over her face as he moved just above her lips.

_Is he teasing me? _

She did not know what was taking hold of her body, she suddenly wanted him to kiss her and spend more time with him (as if they did not spend _enough_ time together).

Lawliet saw her eyes flare with an alien emotion before she had flipped him, one hand caressing his face while the other was preoccupied with keeping her balanced.

Her lips were very quick on his, in every essence animalistic. Her human side was surfacing the slightest bit, guiding her actions.

Lawliet was thoroughly surprised with this, especially when one of her hands went to pull at the bottom of his shirt.

Kat felt him pull away, her eyes opened up when she sensed him breathing heavily. Sighing, she turned onto her back, scrunching her face up when the bandages on her chest prevented her from expanding her chest anymore than a little bit.

_WHAT ARE YOU THINKING KID!!!!!??????_ K roared, as a reflex Kat reached up to cover ears even if she knew full well that that would not work; a whimper leaving her throat as she squeezed her eyes shut.

_I do not know what you are talking about…_ Kat replied feebly, considerably scared of the thunderous voice. All in all, K seemed like the dominant caretaker of all when Kew just chose to watch.

Lawliet crawled closer to her when he saw her suddenly cringe, unaware if this was because of the Multiple Personality Disorder or something malfunctioning with her due to her being a feline-homosapien hybrid.

_Are you dumb?! Did you not pay attention to anything that you read last time? Humans can mate too y'know! _K lectured; a ferocious and tempestuous growl audible in her tone.

_I know, but what does that have to do with anything? _

_The fact that you don't know if this human is willing to be your mate for the rest of your life or if he even considers you as a probable mate, AND; hello! Weren't cha clueless not too long ago over this whole relationship thing!!?? Don't get in over your head kid! _

… Kat remained quiet for a moment, thinking of something. _Then I must talk to him more often and evaluate how his feelings are to me….how did that human website phrase it? Oh, communicating and sharing secrets. _

A hand brushing against her face brought her down from the conversation. "Are you alright?"

Kat blinked; once, twice. Then she eased into a more relaxed position. "Yes. Just getting a hefty lecture from K…"

Lawliet nodded, still turned towards her. For once, her usually heavily guarded eyes were shining with the emotions that she kept hidden so often. Lost, anger (most likely from K), and a pensive emotion.

"What are we to do while your mobility is confined and restricted? I shall not be able to speak as freely to you as before and I cannot simply lock Light up in a room for suspicion will surely arise." She murmured, crossing her arms over her stomach.

It was just like Kat to switch the subject so tactlessly, and then she would turn around and say _he _had no tact. She was right. Nonetheless, she must have already come up with a solution and was only seeing if he approved and was on the same page as her. "You are correct; any suggestions?"

A shiver went down her neck as his breath hit it (for he was not to far away from her). "I propose we meet in the dead of night. The probability of any of the task force or Light being up at the anomalous hours that we are…But K has means of keeping your suspect asleep; conversely, I am not willing to use illegal and untested drugs on a minor. After all, we specialize in beneficence, not mindless noisome to people's health." Lawliet paid special attention to the fact that she was attempting to scold the overbearing K.

"Meeting at night works out fairly well."

Kat twisted her head up to look at him, pondering whether to tell him about the blurs that had disappeared…

No. She had a plan to work out. He would be able to see them soon enough if it worked out. "Lawliet," hearing her say his name after so much of 'Ryuuzaki' was refreshing. "Could you please ask Watari for any files he might have on the K series and anything else they might have on the genetic experimentation of the other hybrids? I believe I would like to know exactly what might be ahead of me and if it is possible that any others from the Scientifically Engineered Female Feline Unit, K series are alive. And possibly those others…" Yet, he was not expecting her to be asking for information on such a delicate matter.

He did not know all of the full details of what she experienced at the lab, or the others; and Watari had denied him any data that would manage to give him enough information to conclude what living as a product of science would be.

Kat stared at his eyes, taking in his emotions and the hesitant pause not escaping her.

"Of course. That is very practical. I shall have Watari take care of it immediately."

Kat pulled herself up (almost with a mechanical cadence), wrapping her arms around her knees, staring off at the wall. This moment of silence, gave her some clarity at least. So much so that she was able to make evident one specific detail that had led to the events of the night.

It was perfectly clear. He had been testing her. He had _feigned_ depression yesterday; seeing the reactions he could pull out of Light by the way that he kept on retorting with nonsensical babblings should have clued her into that much earlier. But, he was not only seeing Light's behavior patterns but the way he stared at her, with no subtlety, was evidence that he was trying to see how _she_ would react to his "depression."

So the only logical explanation for his tests on her would have been that he was making sure that she was not (as he so blatantly phrased it once "googling") acting out all of her actions to appease his affection for her.

Sighing, she heaved herself up and off of the bed. "My sources say that the criminals are becoming aware of L's actions and are beginning to organize themselves to ambush Kira, or at least, that is what they were implying. So if nothing further is left to be said here, than I shall go off to phone some humans."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A whole week had passed, and Kat had been locking herself up, eyes scanning all the information that had been given to her. None of the task force were all too surprised that the ghost like and darn right eerie woman was not in the room, she had a habit of popping in and out without notice. Yet, they hardly ever managed to detect her presence so it was basically the same to them.

And yet, when they saw her trudge through the doors of the main investigation room, with light bags under her eyes, face ashen white, radiating exhaustion; it was a none too pleasant feeling.

She made her way to one of the couches by the computers, curling herself up and closing her eyes. As much as K loathed to admit it; she was beginning to get accustomed to all of those that consisted of the task force and it seemed completely _lonely_ for her to rest by herself in the very room where she was discovering more vile things and certain clues as to how she was going to get around a certain hurdle in her possibly short life.

Lawliet did not have much time to even look at her seeing as he was glued to Light's computer; eyes wide at the information that he had missed.

"What do you think? Has some motivation come out?"

"If this is connected to Kira, then Kira's real intention is not necessarily to punish criminals but something else…?" The surprise in his voice was all too audible to her.

"Uh-huh. He might be killing crooks and pretending that it is of moral sanctions, but perhaps he is doing it for his own benefit."

"Once Yagami-kun mentioned about how adults would use the power for their own gain, and this might be the case…but supposing the once Kira and the second Kira were both active at once, it's possible that this Kira is not the one who's been punishing criminals…" He placed his hand on Light's shoulder. "It's impressive, the way you dug this one up."

"Yeah," He murmured impassively.

"I helped him a lot too, Ryuuzaki!" Matsuda piped in.

Kat rolled off the couch slowing, getting on all fours and silently moving next to L to look at the screen.

"It's all thanks to this program that allows me to accesses any data of the police and the secret services across the world."

"I'll be sure to thank my associates for you, Light-kun." Kat whispered, eyes flickering across the screens.

"Yes, please do so." He muttered before continuing on with his elaborate explanation. "To be honest, I didn't have a clue where to start…so I went to the very beginning…to verify the theory that Kira is here in Japan. Considering that out of all the criminals Kira killed, the majority of them were Japanese, I was convinced that Kira obtained the information about those criminals from the Japanese Media. And I presumed that there would've been some deaths that were caused by heart attacks but were not associated with Kira." So far, it was making sense to her.

"So I traced back all the deaths caused by heart attacks, including non-criminals. If it was not for this program, it would've taken ages."

"And that was where I came in real handy, Ryuuzaki." Lawliet glance at him before returning his eyes to the computers.

"I was going to scan the recent five months and the look into each detail. But then I came to notice these particular three. If it was only a couple, I might have taken theme for a coincidence, but not three.

"Roppei Tamiya, the manager of the developmental planning department of Sekimaru-corp, Kouji Aoi, the vice director of the system integration division of Aoi Agency, and Takeyoshi Morita, the Ex-Chairman of the Yotsuba Group.

"All three of them were once posted at an important position in a company that is major enough to represent Japan, and they all died of heart attacks.

"I see. So you must of searched through those companies' files. And…" Kat started, glancing at the line graph he opened. "Apparently, Yotsuba's share is rising steadily while the other two are going into the negatives."

"Then you searched for any kind of death related to those companies…" L trailed off.

"Uh-huh, and look…I found thirteen convenient losses for Yotsuba over the recent three months, barely a couple of those deaths were profitable for other companies' point of view. All of those deaths were accidental or by illness, except for those three heart attacks and one suicide. And this week another two were punished by Kira for bribery."

"It was also around three months ago that I imprisons Yagami-kun and the killing temporarily stopped, the started again…something smells fishy…" That phrase that L used confused her a bit. She sniffed the air, glancing around the room; did she leave some sushi lying around?

"I know…"

"What do you think? For me, I can only see it as Kira's backing Yotsuba."

"…But then that means Kira…"

"Yes…Kira can kill people with more than just heart attacks!"

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"It sure does not look like a coincidence." Aizawa mentioned, looking over the printed files. Kat was sitting on the arm of the couch, looking at the files over L's shoulder. She could afford to leave her files in favor of the Kira case. "All those people who were in the way of Yotsuba Group died…"

"Those big companies do those kinds of things, get rid of people by faking accidents, or poisoning them to make them sick, then get rid of them…" Matsuda actually said something beneficial.

"About which era are you talking about? The companies these days never do such things." Aizazwa retorted.

"Incorrect, Aizawa-san." K said, turning her unsettling eyes on him. "I know of many companies that rule by that type of imbecilic use of lethal drugs. Seeing as the Yakuza tends to like to play a part in these business transactions…your assumption of all these poorly executed ways to get ahead are completely and _utterly_ wrong."

"Yes," Lawliet put a thumb to his lips. "And evidently, Yotsuba does. The question is, whether it is related to Kira or not…"

"You think Kira's behind all this, Ryuuzaki?" Aizawa exclaimed leaning forward and disregarding that he had been snuffed by K a few moments ago.

"Given that three of those deaths were by heart attacks, I think it is possible. Don't take me for granted though, my verdicts are apt to turn wrong…" K twitched at the statement, pinching him with one of her hand furtively, sending him a small glare. _He really can act like a dumbass sometimes. If he is holding this act up for us then he is an imbecile. If for the task force, then he is twice the imbecile… _

"How about Kira hiring Yotsuba, by feeding the company some dough?"

"No, Kira would never hire anyone." He dismissed it, rubbing the place where the indentation of where K's claws had pinched.

"Why not?"

"Because, if that is the case, that means that some company has managed to find Kira before myself."

"And myself, which, is completely impossible."

"…You've just said something about your verdicts tending to turn out wrong, and now… I don't get you…"

"I was just playing cynical back then.

"Besides, Kira won't cooperate with others just because someone found out his identity. If that's the case, he is more likely to just kill that person. Therefore it's better off assuming that Kira is a member of Yotsuba group, or a member of Yotsuba possesses Kira's ability."

"Then how about the possibility that Kira offered himself to Yotsuba? Perhaps he needed funds for some expenses for whatever plan he has…" Aizawa was just throwing out ideas now.

"But that makes Kira cheap and uncool. That's not groovy at all."

"So you reackon Kira is cool and groovy, Matsuda, huh?!" Aizawa was now in his face, causing the rookie to back up.

"Er, no ididn't mean that…sorry!"

"Either way, our part in this is to investigate. Now if you excuse me, I shall go attend to my own devices." And with that she exited. _Back to the paperwork and to seeing whether or not I can figure a way around this damn case. _

**_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

**A/N: **I am back from my vacation. If you would please direct yourself to my profile I have Kat and K's theme songs posted, some tips on writing and will soon record both the Japanese version of K's voice and the English. If you want any other language, please say so. Hope you all like the chapter and review like you did last chapter.

Timekeeper101: Thanks, nee-chan!

ActionFry: Yes, I was contemplating making it a three way or making K actually knock some sense into them but decided not to.

Bloody Wynter: I hate cliffhangers, but it is a good way to get to know what people are thinking! Thank you.

HaleyJo: Oh my, I am so glad I can pull those types of emotions out of you! And that you continued to read this story! Yes, Misa can be "an annoying twit" hence my character's strong dislike for her. Thank you for reviewing!

Mayacompany: Thank you!

Sybil Corvax: Thank you! I loathe cliffhangers for the same reason!

Hikarugirl: Thank you! And happy New Year to you too!

White Alchemist Taya: I have pondered on how she would react to L's death, actually, to tell you the truth, this story just blossomed out of me seeing a girl that has been tested on during that episode that all us L fans loathe with a passion. Needless to say, the melancholy of it inspired me to type and actually post it. Thank you for reviewing!


	31. Chapter 31

_All of society is too interested in the era and we are willing to say that Chinese Science is behind that of all others due to the incident between Japan and the United States years back. Supervisor Chenglei Xing has entrusted me to write down the progress of the K series and some others. _

_Human and Feline, as all other mammals on earth, have little difference between the DNA. The feline, however, has 19 chromosomes while the human has 23. We have been testing how to alter the genetic mix so that one body can support both human characteristics and that of feline. _

_June 31__st__ 1982- All empty feline eggs have been inserted with homo-sapien male sperm. The eggs have accepted it and are now being put in an artificial womb. _

_July 23__rd__ 1982- all those from the L series have been showing significant progress up until now, all seem to be grouping together and showing signs of individuality and rebelliousness, they are to be terminated on the 30__th__. _

_October 31__st__ 1982- all those from the K series are fully developed, and are now being tested for intelligence, mental activity, reactions and possible malformations and stillborns; 13 of the K series terminated at 6 hours of age due to malformation. 5 terminated due to lack of mental activity, at 5 hours; 15 stillborn. Seven are left. _

_October 31__st__ 1986- Subject __K02257496, stage 1, is progressing the most. Able to dodge bullets, articulate and intelligent enough to communicate in a conversation. Subjects K28648953, K47563218 and K75624894 have been terminated developed symptoms close to human epilepsy._

_October 30__th__ 1988-Sunject number K549684 perished, K527432 was less apt with dodging, developed a growing defect, terminated, K2874631 was an outstanding genius but had no physical aptitude, subject was terminated. Only one is left. She, however is growing rebellious, and if this progresses, will be terminated on December 31__st__ 1989, and the K series will be deemed a failed experiment. _

_December 14__th__ 1988- Subject K has been developing horrible habits, will immediately go into defense mode when a human comes within her territory. Termination date has been moved up to 20__th__. _

_December 15__th__ 1988- Supervisor Qi was almost shredded by subject K. Subject deemed Dangerous and uncontrollable. Termination date moved up to December 16__th__ 1988. _

_Conclusion: K series a failure. M series to be made on the 16__th__. _

"December 16th. They were going to have me terminated on that day. But Watari and W rescued me the day before and I was taken away to England." She murmured out loud, leaning back into the head board of one of the beds that were placed in the room that L, Light and she were to share. She had no worries of Light reading the files that she had, in fact, she had no qualms about him being with in reading distance of the files in her hand. They were all put back in a file that read "Top Secret," then a small safe that was only accessible via finger print scan, retina scan and her own personal pass code. Besides, Light was usually too tired to do anything by the time he came into the room and too ready to get back on the Kira case in the mornings.

And yet, she failed to notice when both Lawliet and Light made their way into the room, for she was on her phone. "Make sure it is done, I want a full replica of it completed even if it means someone must go and force them to do it from scratch—no! I need it as soon as possible! And that is it!" With that, she snapped her phone shut, falling onto her side.

Light seemed perturbed by her actions, and was not aware that his mouth had fallen open just a tad. Lawliet however, chose to merely stride over to her. "People not cooperating?"

"When do they ever? They only _do_ when I drop the fact that I am Agent K…" she muttered, grudgingly getting up and taking of her shirt, followed by her pants.

Light's eyes were the size of dinner plates and he quickly turned himself around, for the sake of courtesy. Kat paused in the shedding of her clothes, one leg partially in her pants, the other fully in with her hands holding on to the top of the pants.

She gave one glance at Lawliet, seeing him mirror her expression. What was wrong with him?

"Is there a problem, Light-kun?" Lawliet asked him, shedding his own shirt and heading for the dresser.

Light chanced a glance over his shoulder but snapped it back around, gritting his teeth, "Yes. The fact that both of you are choosing to quite literally, get naked in front of me, is disturbing to me." He had never actually been awake to see their nightly habits.

Kat finished discarding her pants, walking over to a basket and dumping her clothes in there, catching the set of shorts that Lawliet had thrown over his shoulder at her. "Your point being? It is not as if you are seeing anything particularly…eh, scandalous, I suppose. I wear bandages and some boxers while Ryuuzaki is a male. Now, I want to catch some sleep, so good night." With that, she pulled the over up to her waist, turning on her side to sleep.

Light turned just in time to see Lawliet pull down a white shirt over his head. "But honestly, it's inappropriate for two people hardly older than a myself to dress in front of me…"

"Correction, we're seven years older. Nearly a decade. So mind your elders." Kat muttered, grabbing the pillow that her head was resting on and putting it over her ear.

"Please tell me you are not trying to commit suicide via pillow, Kokoro." Lawliet said, amused, slouching against the dresser.

"Of course I am," She drawled. "And you all will watch me die so humiliatingly, the weapon being a feather pillow…"

This part of the stoic duo he had never seen. They were much like any other pair of (he did some quick math) twenty-four year olds. They were so lax when not surrounded by the task force, or in the brief period of time they could just tease each other and think of other things than the Kira case.

"Careful you choke on a feather, I can see the headlines; 'Agent K, Killed by Vicious Feather,'" His tone of voice never changed, but the general sense of a _friendly_ sarcastic remark (if such a thing even existed) was evident.

"That, is one of your more lame retorts, Ryuuzaki. Please come back when you have found some other, more intelligent jeer…" She said, well, it was more of K whispering what to say and saying that it was playful and not genuine, meaning sarcastic. "Now, _good night._"

Only then did Light notice that the majority of her back was ridden with silver scars that stood out only the slightest bit against her milky skin. He chose rather to keep to himself than pry into her business. His eyes flickered to L, seeing he was already finished changing in a short sleeve and his boxers. "Are you two planning on sleeping? Or just trying to prove that you have more than one set of clothing?"

"Uncalled for!" Kat's muffled voice came from the pillow, a finger in the air.

"Yes, we are planning on sleeping a bit more than usual. At the request of Watari who said it would be detrimental to our health and the case if we did not get some extra hours of sleep in." He gave a summary of the situation, enough details to satiate the boy's curiosity but vague enough that he could not conclude anything. In reality, Watari had just told them to sleep a bit more, and that was it. He had been noticing the darkening bags under their eyes and simply suggested, not requested. But who were Kat and he to object to any suggestion their father figure made?

"Alright, I'll go along with this, good night you two," And with that, the boy jus slipped into bed. Her ears listened in for the moment in which his breathing and heart would slow down. When she sensed that, she slid out of bed and unlocked Lawliet from the chains, pulling him to another joining room that she never bothered telling Light about, grabbing the files on the way.

She closed the door with great precaution, then whirled around on her heel, staring Lawliet down. "_Why_ did you choose to let go of Aizawa?"

Lawliet remained quiet as the events flashed before her eyes.

-

"_Chief Yagami, Mogi-san, welcome back. How did it go?" Kat asked silently, flashing them a small smile. _

"_I have great news!" Matsuda interrupted her; her ear twitched under her hair. "The research Light-kun and I did turned out fruitful, we think that there's a good possibility that Yotsuba Group and Kira are somehow related to each other." _

"_Yotsuba!" Yagami-san exclaimed, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, mouth agape._

"_Y…yeah."_

"_I think that is it. You did a good job…" He recovered, clapping a hand on Matsuda's shoulder. Kat tilted her head, what the hell was going on?_

"_Huh?" And apparently, Matsuda had similar sentiments. _

"_Vice-Commander has just told me that Kira's been bribing politicians." Kat got up slowly, though shock was running through her system. Artemis could have told her _that.

"_Kira…bribe? You mean by using Yotsuba as his financial front?" Aizawa asked. That shot down a bunch of her and Lawliet's theories then. _

"_That's a big lead, ties everything together as well, so that's where your high spirit came from then."_

_Kat heard Misa in the background, clicking some numbers on her cellular phone. "What about our proposal, to recruit members across Japan and gather those who are willing to fight Kira? Was it granted?"_

"_No quite the opposite…there is no one left to recruit now that the Japanese police has yielded to Kira." And another wave a shock went through her body. Everyone was in a state of shock. _

"_WHAT?!" _

"_I've already had this conversation with Mogi and he assured me that he will remain here." He turned to both of the other police members. "Aizawa, Matsuda, if you are still p for the Kira investigation, come along with Mogi and I, and we…will hand in our resignation to the police." _

_This was going downhill all too fast. "For us to investigate the Kira case like this is no longer an available option, not unless we quit the police."_

"_What…what do you mean?" _

"_Y-Yes, we investigate Kira because we are members of the police, right?" _

"_It's this simple; I was virtually told that if we continue our investigation we would be sacked. Just like that. Kira might be behind it too, but it is still an order from above, we have no choice but to obey."_

"_So…chief Yagami…you really plan on resigning…?" Matsuda and his idiotic questions; that, was obviously, what5 he was trying to convey. _

"_Yes, in a couple of hours from now, I will no longer be a chief. I want everyone to make their own decision carefully, remember it's not only you life you are risking from here on." _

"_I see…especially for those with a family and kids to support…" Her eyes caught the expression that passed through Aizawa's face. _

"……………_I think everyone ought to return to the police." Lawliet muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear. "We were on our own to start with anyway. And when the majority of the police turned away from the investigation in fear of Kira, you four said you'd stay with us and all of you came this far. That already means a lot to me, and I am sure to Kokoro as well."_

_She felt a slimy feeling fill her, that loneliness that Lawliet was feeling was washing onto her. "We can take it from here by ourselves. And…I promise…I will visit you at the police headquarters one day and hand over the head of Kira." She placed her hand on top of his when she saw how tight his grip on his knees were. _

"_Ryuuzaki, you'll two will never be alone as long as I'm still here." He twisted his hand into a fist. "I haven't forgotten our promise."_

"_That's right. I must ask Yagami-kun to remain here with me until I catch Kira. But everybody else should return to the police…"_

"_But Ryuuzaki, you made us believe that the police's support was indispensable for this investigation."_

_He looked to his cherries, picking two up. "I did. But that was only because Yagami-san remained here, as my last connection with the police. Also, under those circumstances, the police was still independent enough to maintain the principle of the investigation, to capture Kira. Like the incident at Sakura TV, for instance…However, if you leave the police and become a civilian, then 'your help' is not the same as the 'police's support.'" He popped the cherry into his mouth, holding the stems. "Anyway, the police have decided to abandon the Kira investigation. And I'm fine with that."_

"_I…guess that is true, without our badge you might find us less useful…but…what about our feelings? I truly believe that I did everything I could to get this far, risking my own life with sincere determination." _Damn, this is turning into a soap opera. K mused._ Kat grabbed two of Lawliet's cherries, placing it in her mouth; twisting it this way that that to make a knot. _

"_And I believe that I have a right to make my own decision, whether to leave the force and remain here, or to return to the force and leave this investigation."_

_Almost at the same time, they pulled out cherry stem knots form their mouths. "…I suppose you do. Then please make that decision."_

"…_B…But chief…the base line is that if we quit the force, we lose our jobs…suppose we did catch Kira, but what will happen to us next? Like Matsuda said, chief and I have family to support…I-I cannot risk what I have…" _

"_Next, huh…I haven't thought that far…but if we catch Kira, then I guess the next thing will be…" He flashed a charming smile. "Getting a new job."_

"_I've made my mind up!! I'm quitting the force too, I'll chase down Kira with Chief and Mogi-san." He said, pumping a fist into the air_

"_Matsuda…"_

"_My effort finally paid off and now we know that Yotsuba is the suspect, I don't want to quit now, and I have my job as Misa-Misa's manager so I won't be unemployed…The only reason I got my job at the police in the first place was because I had a connection. It's not a big deal. My parents might get disappointed but…I don't want to feel like a loser by giving up now and returning to the police…"_

"_Matsuda! Watch what you say!"_

_Aizawa turned around to face Lawliet's back. "Ryuuzaki, how about if I go back to the police and spend my spare time to contribute to the investigation?"_

"…_No. If you are returning to the police then please do not come here anymore. The situation suggests that we are better off assuming that the police is no longer on our side."_

"…_But…I'll keep the information to ourselves just like we always did, with you or with the force, where ever I am. And look…if I return to the police now, the members of the force will be the ones who assume that _**I'm** _the spy sent by L. Then what if you think of me as a watcher who observes the movements of the police for you…?" That wouldn't work, she already had made sure that Watari was keeping tabs on the police but hadn't checked on those sets of monitors for a while now. _

"_If you want to return to the police and continue with the investigation by yourself within the police policy then you are free to do so. And if you'd like to give us information, you are also free to contact Yagami-san and do so. But I won't let you have any of the information we might have."_

_Aizawa slouched, the epitome of defeat. "Ryuuzaki's right…we mustn't allow information to go out of this team…I'm sorry, I guess I'm just being selfish."_

"_Chasing Kira, risking your own life as a member of the police might be a righteous thing to do. However, quitting the police and causing your family troubles just to go after Kira yourself might not be so righteous. If you die as a member of the police then you are a victim to your duty. On the other hand if you stay here and get killed then you are practically dying for nothing."_

"_Ryuuzaki has a point, Aizawa. If you leave the team now, no one will blame you." Yagami consoled. He just seemed like the type to be close with his coworkers. _

"_Yeah, we won't call you a turncoat or anything." Matsuda always putting his thoughts in. _

"_B-but chief, you have your family too, and you are still quitting the force…"_

"_Aizawa, you and I are not standing in the same shoes. My son was suspected for being Kira and was imprisoned for it, and albeit voluntarily, so was I. And I blame Kira for all of that. I cannot go back to where we started anymore…understand me, this is my own selfishness."_

"_And may I remind you that I still haven't relinquished my theory of Light-kun being the principal Kira."_

"_Both my kids," Yagami-san continued, despite being irked at Lawliet's comment. "Have grown up. I don't mean to be judgmental but you still have the responsibility to raise your children—" _

"_It's…not fair. This is not fair…I want to remain here too. I, too, have always been determined enough to risk my own life…and what…and what will Ukita say if I quit now…? DAMN IT! This is wrong, why can't a member of the police investigate Kira…"_

"…Ryuuzaki. Kokoro."

"_Yes, Watari…" Kat asked before Lawliet could. _

"You made me promise that if anything happens to any of the members of this investigation team, I will support that member and his family with a lifetime benefit even if they get fired by the police. Why don't you two let him know about that?"

"_Well, Watari, please do not point your finger at me. I am just a spectator in this seeing as I am usually away on a mission." She quickly gave her alibi. _

"_Do not mention unnecessary things, Watari." _

"Oh…I beg your pardon. I just couldn't keep myself quiet …"

-

"Do you have any idea how hard that was?" She asked, cornering him, not unlike how a tigress would stalk her prey.

"…To which part are you referring to…?" He questioned hesitantly. All sense of primal pursuit disappeared as she simply wrapped her arms around him, letting her head fall on his shoulder.

"You…made me feel like the whole world was going to turn its back on me; …like in Russia: during that damn proclamation of solitude…" She muttered, breathing deeply.

He blinked before embracing her tightly. "I never want you to feel that way, again…" He didn't know what they were to each other…but why did he need to know if they could just have moments like this forever?

**A/N: **The end of this chapter was a bit gushy, I know. However, more spontaneous-ness to come in the next chapter. My camera is going whacky so I can't record my voice. I am going to ask one of my acquaintances to lend me her microphone so that I may record the small dialogue. I have replied to all your reviews, I just hope you all react kindly to this one. I did a lot of research prior to writing this one up do to all the science that is involved in the small quip in the beginning.

**-Maddy**


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Please play "L no Kako" (L's Past) for the last flashback, you shall get more of the feel of it that way. Chapter 32

"_No. How many times must I say that I need them as soon as possible? If they are not finished in a timely manner…Yes, I understand, _sayonara," And with that, Kat snapped her phone shut, placing it inside the pocket of her coat.

She lied down on the couch; a horrible feeling filled her, the ghost of a throb hitting her. She breathed slowly, wrapping her arms around herself as a form of self security. Regretting that she had chosen to wear nothing over her bandages…

"I found another one, Ryuuzaki," She did not even feel like twitching at the fact that she was completely forgotten again. "10th of December, fell off the staircase at home and died form a bad case of concussion. Junichi Yaibe, the manager of Otomo Bank, Iida-bashi branch. He had the position of vice-president promised to him and was known as a substantial go-getter. And three days ago Tokio Yakoda, a director of the Otomo bank, was questioned by the police for suspected bribery. He hasn't been arrested yet but from what we've been seeing he'll either be punished by Kira or commit suicide… Otomo Bank is falling apart, and when Yotsuba outstrips Otomo then Yotsuba will become the new number one within Japan…"

"10th of September, that's a Friday, too." Yagami-san said, standing up. "We looked over a very simple point. When I was studying our research for the second time, I realized that the majority of the convenient deaths for Yotsuba took place during the weekends."

"Oh, really?" Matsuda said; if Kat was right, he either was feeling as bored as her or useless.

"Assuming that this serial killing started exactly three months ago, the dates of accidental deaths started off randomly and gradually became intensive between the period of Friday evening to Saturday afternoon. Including those three heart attacks that Light noticed at the beginning," Said he, glancing at the files again.

"W-well spotted chief!...Well spotted, even before Light-kun or Ryuuzaki."

"I've told you that I'm no longer the Chief," muttered Yagami-san.

"But you still are and will always be my chief," Matsuda said. _Does anyone else doubt Matsuda's sexual orientation right now, or is it just me? _K asked, a tenor of disgust in her voice.

_It's just you. _Both Kew and Kat chorused dully.

"The killings are centered around weekends… What does this mean?" Light asked, turning towards Lawliet.

Turning to one of his usual habits, Lawliet placed a finger on his lip. "This isn't making any sense…if Kira is behind those deaths, then Kira must be able to kill a person with more than heart attacks. And if so, he's schedule the time of deaths and make the deaths look random to hide his ability…why the weekends…? Is it possible that Kira isn't behind this case after all…?"

But at this point, Kat chose to close her eyes; the monotony killing her.

_Why are we here when we can be out on missions? I know you want to support him, kid, but this is so __**boring. **_K muttered, Kitten echoing her with a "_Yeah! K-chan is right!"_

_She does have a point, Kat. We never really do anything here, and when we do, we are completely ignored. Do you _want _to deal with all this monotony? _

"It's better than going up and having a talk with Amane. And hey, if we're lucky, she might try to kill us again," _The plural dialogue reminds me oh-too much of that book by Ayn Rand…Anthem was it? (1) _

_Oh look how low we've sunk; resorting to questioning our dialogue…Ya know what? Call me after we stop talking about books, support and all this girly human shit…_

All this ennui was really getting on her nerves. But this was just a hobby, so couldn't she choose to walk out and try a mission? A hobby…she had very good reasons for calling it that.

Since they did not have proper licenses or papers, it could not be a profession, and since they only chose missions and cases that piqued their interest…that just proved it further. They had said so before the Kira case began; when they were have a sort of interview session with the Wammy kids.

But, quite frankly, this part of their hobby was getting far too insipid for her taste…

…_Whatever…_Kat muttered, grabbing some sunglasses and the keys to her car.

-

She pulled up to the estate, her grip on the steering wheel tight, Every Heart by BoA playing quietly on the radio. Pulling her parka around herself, she sighed, taking the keys out and just gripping them in her hand. _It's now or never…_

As she walked up the steps, pressing the doorbell a shrill, indignant yell sounded in her head. _The hell are you doing now?!! _

_Something that you will yell at me for, no doubt. Some silence would be much appreciated. _

The door opened revealing a beautiful young woman, a baby in one hand and a child in the other. Kat bowed, taking her sunglasses off, "Hello, you must be Aizawa-dono (2). I am one of your husband's former…supervisor, you could say."

A pause, Kat could almost feel the woman's eyes taking her in. Maybe she should have dressed more professional? Jeans, leather gloves, Lawliet's ratty old tennis shoes and her parka made her look like a teenager. Kat came up just as the woman bowed herself (albeit with some difficulty considering she had a baby in her arms). "Pleasure to meet you. Please come in Miss…?"

Kat felt the urge to whack herself; which alias was she going to use? "Kokoro Jiki(3)," She flashed a smile. Aizawa-dono blinked twice. Okay, she knew it wasn't a proper name but still, she was leaving a clear "trail" so-to-speak.

"Please come in Kokoro-shi, (4)" She said, ushering her daughter in.

"Thank you, Aizawa-dono." Said Kat; making sure to take off the tennis shoes in favor of some slippers. "You have a beautiful home, that painting is absolutely gorgeous. May I ask who the artist is?"

"Mori Sosen, it has been past down in my family for many generations," said she; the pride in her voice was all too audible.

"Yes, I should have known. And it is an original. The strokes are so precise, and the detailing superb," She muttered, making to tough the painting but thinking better of it. She knew nothing about art, so she was just rambling off some facts that Linda, the orphanage's resident artist, had once said.

"Yes, I thought so too. Are you going to be staying for tea, Kokoro-shi? Perhaps some sake? My husband is not due back for about an hour more." She suggested, walking into the kitchen.

"Oh, no, I would not like to impose anymore than I have already, Aizawa-dono," She said modestly.

"It's no trouble! I already had a pot of water on the stove," She flashed a kind smile.

While they waited for the tea, Kat played a little hand game with Eriko, Aizawa-dono's daughter. (_"Oh! You got me! Eriko-chan!"_) **(5)**

By the time Aizawa came home, saying a grand "I'm home" the tea was finished and Eriko was braiding Kat's hair, Aizawa-dono insisting on taking a picture. ("May I have a copy of the photo, please?")

"Kokoro? What are you doing here!?" The anger in Aizawa's voice could not be confused with anything else.

"Perhaps we should go outside, I have a favor to ask of you…"

-

_**Three Days Later**_

-

Kat was lying on the couch, arm over her eyes…listening to the 'taps' of footsteps.

She had half a mind to just up and leave again…maybe go out on a mission…

_But then we would be overridden by our emotions, do bodily harm to ourselves, and thus distracting Lawliet from the case…_ And none of the personas could ever make a retort to that completely true fact.

"Name's Aiber, I'm a con artist. Nice to meet ya all," Aiber said, giving a small charismatic smile.

"I'm Weddy. I'm a professional burglar," And how could she forget that voice? One that had pulled her out from such a giant hole…

"A…con artist and a burglar…?" Kat sat up, looking at the surprised faces of both the Yagami men.

"That's right," Lawliet said, standing up on his chair. "Aiber employs his knowledge of psychology, linguistics and diplomacy and manages to get intimate with anyone he fixes his eyes on without fail. He will make a fine spy. Weddy is a burglar with a talent to unlock any kind of lock and security system. To prove it, she managed to enter this room without anyone taking notice of her. They are both proper and real criminals."

"…are we going to investigate with… criminals…?" Yagami-san asked, turning towards Lawliet.

"Yes, but not quite the same criminals as those whose face are on papers and end up getting punished by Kira. Think of them as professional dealers from the black market.

"I've got a few more possible helpers reserved. And that includes a few criminals. I'll call on them as required. None of them want to show their face and neither do I, but I might ask some of them to move into this building. I couldn't summon them while Yagami-san and the others were still with the police, but now I suppose…"

"…but…"

"You have no qualms about working with me, Yagami-san. Since I _am_ a criminal if you look at it from a certain angle." Kat said, stretching her arms up over her head.

"…I-I suppose you are correct…" He muttered.

"I guess with Yotsuba against us, people like them can be a great help. Let's work on it together!" Light said, optimistically putting his hand out.

-

She shuffled some files around on the bed, scrunching her brows up when her cell phone rang, jumping when heavy guitar and base filled the air. _Gothic girl and her gothic rock…just tell me when I should take out our AK47…_

"The last time I let Misa mess with my phone…" She muttered, looking at the caller ID and flipping it open. "Please tell me this is good news?"

**"**_Prêt." (6)_

"It's finished?!"

"_Yes, both are fit to all of your specifications. All we need now is a willing subject to test it on…" _

"To make sure there are no lasting side-effects of any sort, of course…" She paced in the room, glancing at the thermostat when a sudden bout of cold hit her. "I have the perfect person! Just worry about getting all the forms done and the serums ready, I'll contact him. _Avoir_, J."

She snapped her phone shut, her giddiness ebbing away.

Why had she chosen him of all people? It was completely absurd.

She had a strong dislike for the psychopath and his strange fetish with confusing her beyond question. And yet, K; the one who usually ushered her away from shady characters actually _liked _him. However, Kat had come to the conclusion that it was because of their preferred style of crime.

She sighed…how in the world was she going to get him to willingly be tested on?

"Gah!" She collapsed onto the bed, hands gripping her head as a wave of agony ripped through her skull. Tears stung at her eyes from the shear pain, sure that one thousand bullets, a steam train and the Empire State building all falling on her would not compare to the throbbing pain. Her body twisted on the bed, another wave shocking her system…with this one came the acrid and putrid taste of bile into her mouth. She stumbled into the bathroom, retching into the basin.

_What the hell is wrong with us?! _But no answer came to her frantic question, only hollow silence.

Her strength receded as she slipped down onto the floor, holding her head as the tears flowed from her eyes.

It was a pity that both Light and L had chosen to stay investigating instead of coming to sleep that night…

-

_She starred at the billowing clouds overhead, face having no trace of any emotion. "I believe the Kira case will soon be over. My time is limited, Aizawa-san."_

"_What do you mean?! Is this some cheap way of getting me to return?!" _

_She never took her, suddenly dull green, eyes off of the clouds. "No. I mean, quite literally, that I believe my time on this planet is limited. The Kira case will soon be over for me." _

_Aizawa's mouth almost seemed to unhinge. Now that he looked at her more closely, he saw the air of despondency that she had. "But Kokoro! You are the healthiest person I have ever met!"_

_This earned a haunting chuckle from her. "You deduce that from what I let everyone see of me, correct?"_

_She was right. He had never seen her away from her work, and no one paid mind to her while she was there…so how could he possibly even try and guess how she was…?_

"_In any case, Aizawa-san," She said, a snowflake falling on her cheek. "When I am no longer there, I want you to go back to the task force—"_

"_But Kokoro!!!" _

"—_And when you do, I will make sure that you guys are funded. I just never want you to trust Yagami Light. If worse comes to worse…and neither L nor myself are there, I would like for you to keep suspicion of Light, __**always. **__Keep an ear out for anyone named Near, Mello or Matt." She bowed her head. "And Aizawa…?"_

"_Yes?" _

_She walked up to him, standing on her tip toes and whispering into his ear, "I'm Kew Keikan, nice to meet you." _

_With those final words, she left Aizawa in a daze, and by the time he had gotten out of it, she had already left. _

-

**A/N: No pitch forks and torches people. I want everyone (meaning everyone reading this for the first time, those who have me either on their Author Alert, Favorites, or Story Alert; you can submit an anonymous review as well, I don't bite people) to review if you ever wish to see the outcome of this. I am open to opinions of this, comments and anything. I already replied to everyone who review last time…I had some trouble with this chapter, so give me a break here. **

(1) Anthem is a very good book, a bit iffy on the content and the fact that it is so _puny_ but it is basically a book based on how society would be if years after Hitler, all traces of inventions were erased and a society rose up with collectivism being the key to "peace." They do not use personal pronouns, and if so, you are executed. One of it's main ideas is individualism which I believe is very important for this story if you look at Kat's past and later on L's past.

(2) A lot of people get this wrong, 'Dono' has no equivalent in English, but the closest one would most likely be Sir or Ma'am.

(3) The alias she used translates, literally, to "Porcelain Heart"

(4) The suffix "shi" is used for Lawyers, business people and any higher ups. So Aizawa-dono must be under the impression that Kat really is a "supervisor" or important person for her to be using such a suffix.

(5) "Chan" is an affectionate term used for friends, seeing how Kat gets along better with children than adults, it was a given that she would give Aizawa's child that suffix.

(6) It means 'finished' in French, so we can assume that she is speaking to someone who is either in France or is French.


	33. Chapter 33

_**Death Note: Another Note**__- __**Oblivious Attraction style: Where was Kat?**_

July of 2006 was the only time that Kat was not with him, helping him on his case. "You do your 'damage control,'" She had muttered, irritably. "And I'll go do my case in France."

If memory served right, he had done something to anger her; accidentally stepped on her tail, thusly dropping his steaming cup of sugar with coffee onto her.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 33

Aizawa, the first one who thought that K was completely and clinically insane, starred at the clouds, (much in the same way that Kokoro had a few days ago) pondering on the words she had told him.

His wife had said she had called herself "Kokoro Jiki;" Porcelain Heart, but then she told him her name was Kew Keikan...

Keikan meant "fierce strength," but to his scant knowledge of Chinese, Kew was a girl's name that meant 'loveable.'

So she had trusted him enough with her real name (he assumed it was that, anyways), the fact that she was expecting to die soon enough…

And a file that he had received on his porch with the words "Know the truth about me…I need someone to know…-Porcelain Heart" scrawled across the front in black permanent marker, and the handwriting was nearly as illegible as a child's, he might even add.

The envelope was filled with bubble wrap, most of them punctured by some sort of animal; curiously, it only contained one sheet of paper. It was some sort of puzzle of sorts…just like a genius to make a puzzle…he had been trying to solve it; relentlessly. Only about an eighth of it was done. He had considered asking for help but had quickly dismissed it, knowing that Kokoro had specifically wanted him to solve it. He had already determined that what he had were a series of letters and numbers in no specific order, but that was it.

The puzzle, however, was the last thing on his mind currently. That woman, K; had made an impact on him.

She never smiled sincerely at them, she was always grouchy around Light before the confinement, she was desolate when Light began helping, she was damn right _freaky_ when she was on missions: and yet…

She grinned her heart out with L, she was (nearly) always in a good mood around L, she _giggled_ when she thought no one else noticed her (presumably at something L did) and she was damn right _adorable_ when she was clinging to L on that morning so long ago…

The pattern was obvious: Kat loved L. But were her feelings reciprocated.

Aizawa sighed while running a hand through his hair, "Look at me, examining Kokoro's love for Ryuuzaki like Misa…or Matsuda…"

But, the point was, that the woman: no, _childlike_ young lady had actually grown on him.

She was L's shadow, and though you would subconsciously refuse to look at her because of those unnerving slit pupils floating in a sea of neon green (possibly giving of the illusion that they were glowing at times), you'd want to chuckle because she acted so much like a small child that it was almost cute. _Almost. _

Ukita had been his long term friend, so the way he thought of her would never compare to his companionship with him, but it was something similar.

He was not going to get sentimental and he was not going to cry. All of them knew what was the most likely outcome of their joining the Kira case…L and K, who usually never ever risked showing themselves to anyone (the exception being K, but she always wore a mask out on missions, to his knowledge), especially. They had been putting their lives in peril willingly, knowing that they could possibly end up buried somewhere under the earth, only ever remembered by a small handful of people.

K—no, _Kew_ had made sure to engrave suspicion of Light into his brain. And while he had been listening to her voice, the pure conviction in her tone had been enough to convince him.

"Dammit, and chances are I won't even know _when_ she dies because I'm not on the team anymore…"

-

L glanced over files, halfheartedly, feeling like something was missing. As if something very significant to either the case or him was lost… He pushed the files away. He could not work while his mind was distracted.

Light gave him a queer look, one which L resisted glaring at. He had no trust in the boy, but would have to be at least cordial with him or else earn a very skewed lecture from a certain woman he was smitten with…

He twisted around in his chair absently, subconsciously discovering what he was missing. Where was Kat? Did she not say that researching by her own was getting uncomfortable at one point?

_I miss Emmy…_

-

Numb…she felt numb. Why? And why was she so damn cold?

Realization hit her and she quickly pushed herself up into a sitting position, regretting it when a strong wave of vertigo hit her. "The heck…?"

_Slow down, kid. _The fact that K sounded as drained as she felt did not help the matter one bit.

_Why didn't you answer me before? Any of you? _She asked tersely, reaching for a towel to wrap around her body, glaring at the wall all the while.

_Common sense tells you that if you're in pain, the rest of us are, I think Kitten's still wailing her head off in a corner…_ Kew answered; voice far off.

_Okay then, what the hell was that then? _She questioned, rubbing her forehead but quickly darting her clawed hand into the cocoon of warmth that she had created for herself.

_Those files clearly said that we are supposed to die twenty-five years and five days after creation. Exactly. Perhaps…_Kew trailed off, not wanting to conclude the worst.

_Perhaps we are feeling what is the first effects that correspond to that…_Kat finished, had her ears not been covered, they would have been flat against her head.

_So what? At exactly, what? Three minutes before midnight on Halloween, we are going to spontaneously combust? That's bullshit. _K's comment caused Kat to wince, though it was said in a _feeble_ attempt at sarcasm then her usual icy retorts.

Silence reined for a good long time, all the personas rolling around in their own thoughts. It was October 8th, the day after she had had some sort of attack so, in theory; she had only 28 days to live…

She buried her face in her knees.

Wasn't this what she had wanted for years? Death? She had been so close to actually committing suicide so many times…but this time death was almost _guaranteed_. What was the difference?

_I have L Lawliet._ She grinned the smallest bit. _I love L Lawliet. That's the difference_.

Love: to feel tender affection for somebody…_ We love L Lawliet, that's the damn difference. _

It was so odd, how she figured out her feelings in her one moment of despair and depression. She wiped her eyes, waiting for them to leak like almost every other time she thought of something 'sad.' Yet, they did not leak.

She blinked a few times.

_We shouldn't let this get to us god dammit! Get your ass off the ground and go live! Beat the crap out of the scientists! Figure out if it's true or not! _K roared, back up to her usual volume level.

She scrambled to her feet quickly, nodding her head as she did. _Got it! _

-

L's head snapped up when he heard the door open, not aware that he was that distracted. In stumbled a very bedraggled Kat, loosing her footing only slightly. Her eyes immediately landed on his, and when they did, she flashed a wide smile…one that didn't reach her eyes.

She quickly scuttled across the room, passed him, dropping a folded piece of paper on the ground. She continued on, picking up all of the things she had lying around and opening a certain drawer that she had never bothered to open while at the headquarters. She glanced at the weapons, picking up only the switchblade, a gun and her mask.

Shaking her head of useless thoughts, picking up a small package she turned on her heel, leaving the room just as quickly as she had entered it.

L opened the paper, reading its contents.

_Meet me in our room, as soon as possible, it's important –K_

-

She stared at the files once more, anger building in her. She was going to do something she never thought she would.

The door creaked open behind her, and one set of footsteps headed her way. "What's wrong?" Straight to the point and blunt, like always.

She wanted the moment to last, yet he was rushing. Better to get it over with then, "I'm dying."

"What?" It certainly through him for a loop.

She gritted her teeth. "I am dying. I am malfunctioning. My system is starting to shut down. I am going to kick the fucking metaphorical bucket soon." Her fists were clenched into tight fists.

L took a moment to look at the files in front of her; the ones she had asked for. "How did you deduce this?" He questioned, walking towards her.

She turned quicker than his eye could catch, "The damn scientists designed me that way. Live only 25 years and 5 days. Until approximately November 5th. Here," She tossed him the cardboard package. "It's untested, so be careful, I had two sent just in case. It's a serum used to temporarily cause a human to turn into a hybrid. A copy of the ones they used back when I was confined to a lab cell," She sat on the bed. "You inject it into your jugular, that way it can circulate, or at least that's the stupid method the scientists had."

"Yes. I understand. I pondered whether or not these should be made. These will work assuming that whatever Kira uses to kill, it only works on humans, correct?"

She nodded. "That's the gist of it." _He's always at least one step ahead of me, why he ever asked my opinion when he knew the answer was beyond me. _

"And this one?" He asked, picking up the syringe.

"For me. Though the methods they used back then were crude, I still think that a vaccine to possibly reverse the effects of the hybrids is clever…" She muttered, grabbing the syringe and twisting it in her hands.

"The catch?"

"Never been a success. They tried to use earlier prototypes on some of the other series but the result was….unfavorable."

L nodded, doing some quick guess work based on her tone only. "Was a success but I am assuming the hybrids died shortly after…"

Kat shook her head yes, morbidly. "It's never been tested, and possibly can't ever be tested seeing as I am quite probably the only hybrid left. I won't use this unless the situation is…well, _bad_. But the chances of me coming out of it alive are slim to none."

He stared her straight in the eye, narrowing his own the slightest bit. "What are you going to do, K?"

She put the syringe back into the package. "I plan on meeting up with someone, going off to find my makers and then demanding explanations."

"That's completely absurd, K." He said simply.

She gave him that smile again, only now he knew it was broken. "I know. But I'm going to die either way, so I'd rather try and prevent that…"

"You were willing to die in Moscow until I stopped you."

She winced, "Yes, but I didn't go through with it."

"Because I stopped you."

"Because I didn't." She argued.

"I prevented your suicide."

"But I decided not to try anymore."

"Not to try living, not to try suicide or not to try dying? Which?" He asked, blurting everything that entered his mind regardless if it sounded grammatically correct or not.

"Suicide! I was living for you! You know why?! Because even then, I loved you!" She yelled, getting up in his face. Staring at him, nose to nose. "Because I love you, I don't try to commit suicide and end this. Because I love you, I did my best to support you! Because I love you, I am trying to prolong my life, because I want to _keep _loving you!!!"

His eyes showed no emotion, completely blank and calm compared to her distraught and flushed face.

Two opposites standing in front of each other; a female that was completely crude, vulgar and cutthroat with suicidal dreams while he was just everything that she was not…

"What did you say?" he asked, eyes still blank.

She sighed, glancing at the wall before turning back to look at him. "I said, I love you."

He nodded, capturing her lips. _No regrets._

-

**A/N: The ending to this one is soon. About a chapter or two. Next chapter is going to be hell to write. I want reviews. A lot of them. I want to top this off with a BANG! Please note, I **_**nearly cried**_** multiple times while writing this. But I guess it's because I had finished re-watching and reading L's death. Ask questions, I'll answer. Comment; I'll answer. Tell me if you cried, I'll answer. Just REVIEW!**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: My god, so many of you "nearly cried" were on the **_**verge of crying**_** or were loosing your minds trying to find out how to save Kat. I'll give more info at the end of the chappy. I suggest "Sadness and Sorrow"**

Chapter 34

L stared down at Kat while he put on his clothes rather hurriedly.

He had not gotten a wink of sleep…it was just that the thought of Kat, the person who dragged him out of his depression after the death of his family, suddenly not being there…She had survived through so much just so that her body would give up on her, just because of the way some scientists created her.

He did not feel right saying that they created her; after all, she loathed them with every fiber of her being, but he was glad they created her or else he could have possibly been just an empty person who lived on sweets and cases.

He realized that she had, on more than one occasion, thought or even said aloud that everything would have been better off had she and the rest of her kind not been created. _"Who needs more killers, criminals and dangerous masterminds in the world anyways?" _

On more than one occasion, she had thrown fits about the human race being filthy and completely barbaric.

And on more than one occasion he had been left alone to comfort her.

After so many years of having to have to (he did not want to say _deal_ because it had too negative a connotation but could not find more appropriate word at the moment) deal with her fits, he had become a master at comforting her. He was not sure about others because she usually just needed someone to hold her and say "Not everyone is like that…"

He walked around to her side of the bed slowly, sitting down next to where her tires body was lying, just watching her sleep.

She had saved him from a whole of depression that was for sure…

"I miss Emmy, but you seem to have helped me heal that, Kat…" L muttered, caressing her face.

_L Lawliet had always been an intuitive, diligent and extremely smart person, even as a small child. _

_As the saying says; _Tobi ga taka o umu_: a kite breeding a hawk. _

_His parents were not common and were definitely not to be confused with wealthy or well-off parents either. _

_His father always liked to go out for a couple of drinks, in the past, when his marriage was actually working out, this meant little to nothing to his wife or son. However Cain Lawliet got into some major trouble. On the outside, everyone saw a very nice realtor, with the cutest family ever. But, behind the scenes, he had been dealing drugs, ever since he was young. He had a sharp mind, and in all through his high school career he was praised for that. The only time people had ever looked down on him was when he got married to his sweetheart because she was two months pregnant. _

_And that would be one of the catalysts for the events that ensued. _

_His parents were very low-maintenance, never caring about what their son did; they themselves had dropped out of high school; only to meet somewhere in the middle, seeing that his mother was English and his father was completely French. So he had strived to be the first in his family to ever graduate from school._

_But how was he suppose to do that with all of the schools pressuring him to be the best, to go farther, to reach his limits, and his parents just waving off any special effort he did. A slap in the face is what it was to Cain Lawliet. _

_Bachiko Kozlov was the girl that everyone loved to sneer at. She was not exactly your normal French girl. With one parent being Russian and the other Japanese…She had striking features, but the students were still very rude about her odd background and nationality. _

_Typically, both found themselves one day pouring over a couple of books, studying for the same exam. She had giggled good-naturedly when she noticed this and said quite pleasantly "Would you like to work together?" Her accent was barely there but odd nonetheless. _

_And on that day Cain Lawliet and Bachiko Kozlov became an "item." _

_Years later, after the marriage to cover up their mistake; they tried their best to live as happily as ever, keeping up a façade of "Happiness." No one ever doubted them. _

_But the family started to disband. And all the fighting commenced a few months after L Lawliet's birthday._

_As a child, he knew that his family was not the best, not the worst but somewhere in between near the bottom; he had gotten used to the yelling and the fighting. He was left on his own many times…but on the day that a small baby was dropped in his hands, he had reason enough to question the reliability of his parents. _

_Just as his first name was a single letter, the baby girl that was placed in his arms one month after he turned four, was named M Lawliet. _

_However, he had given her the affectionate nick name of "Emmy." And since she could not pronounce "L" quite properly, she had christened him "Ellie."_

_He was very content raising his little sister, while his parents were out doing who knew what. _

_And just after L's fifth birthday was when they were evicted from their house. _

_His father had fallen from grace, from the cutest family, to a violent drunk. His mother, too, had fallen, save that she did from adorable house-wife to gambling whore. _

_The house they found next was degrading to say the least; peeling wallpaper, dripping water audible in the distance and termite ridden walls. His _dearest_ parents had now sunken to a new low. They pushed him around (while he had Emmy in his arms even!) telling him to fix dinner, clean the house, do all the house hold chores and somehow manage to find money for the little "black hole that sucks so much cash out of our pockets," which, of course, was their oh-so affectionate term for his little sister. _

_L never spoke out, never went against his parents demands; just mutely carried Emmy around, ignoring the identical pair of gray eyes that glared holes into his back at his "sluggish" pace. _

_Both grew accustomed to this, and when Emmy became a toddler, she seemed to have gotten a replica of her brother's great mind, only that she was a tad bit more sentimental then him. Curly ebony locks sprouted from her head, with big almond shaped grey eyes and porcelain skin. Coupled with the endearing smiles and grins of her brother, his shaggy hair and both their raggedy clothes…well, let's just say that when they went to the Market, most adults were practically throwing money at them. _

_On days that their parents were fighting they would hide after learning their lesson one stormy afternoon. Their father had gotten particularly furious at their mother for "whoring" around, and threw a knife very near her head. Both children, needless to say, scuttled out of their as if hell hounds were on their heels. _

_And so, both children introduced themselves into the little space above their room, where a trap door was conveniently placed. They paid no mind to the fact that that was most likely the most dangerous place in the house, and simply held each other while loud crashes, shrieks and roars resounded beneath them. That was how their bond strengthened. _

_December 2__nd__ came, it was dawning a beautiful morning in the slums of Vaire, France, and L Lawliet had paid mind to waking up extra early and before his little sister, taking out a sock that he had hidden with a small amount of money. _

_He climbed out of the window, making sure no noise was made, and set off to the bakery, on a hunt for the perfect birthday cake for Emmy. _

_The kind bakery owner gave him the cake for the money he had (though he was sure it would have cost anyone else far more than what he had brought). It was a chocolate cake, with strawberries on the inside, white fondant covering it and "Happy 4__th__ Birthday Emmy!!!" written across the top. He made sure to take his time walking, not wanting to fall and ruin the masterpiece. _

_However, as he approached the area where his house would have been, he saw ashes and rubble, flames licking at what was left of the charred foundation. _

_He dropped the cake, running across the length of the field, pulling his shirt up to his nose to filter out any smoke. _

"_Emmy!" He called out. "Where are you Emmy!" _

_He lifted planks of burning wood, not paying heed to the burst of pain that went through him when he did. _

_He was panting and about to give up when he saw a small hand sticking out of the one region he had not checked. _

_On impulse, he burst into a run, tearing at all the burning debris that was covering her small body. "Emmy! Are you alright?!" _

_The sirens could be heard, cutting through the air as he bent over to her mouth, checking to see if she was breathing. "E-Ellie?" _

_He nodded his head frantically. "It's me, it's Ellie! Keep your eyes open Emmy!"_

_She made no answer as her eyes fluttered close. "Emmy! No! Emmy!" He yelled, shaking her shoulders. _

_The firefighters were upon them before he knew it, taking the little girl away from him; pulling L up with her, carrying him to the ambulance. _

"That night, I heard that my mother had gambled with the wrong person, thus the reason for the charred ruins of our house. The day after, I was informed that they were going to take Emmy to a Sanitarium. Six days later, Mr. Wammy took me to the orphanage. Precisely a week later, you came pouncing in, immediately earning the disrespect of the older children…" He trailed off softly, brushing her hair away from her face.

Kat's green orbs fluttered open. "That's so…_sad._" She muttered, moving her hand to squeeze L's. "If it's any consolation, I never even knew my parents." She said, turning her head towards him.

It was not a consolation at all; she was about as useless with comforting as he _used_ to be.

"Do not worry, the past is the past…" He muttered, looking at their fingers, intertwining them. "I suppose you are leaving today…?"

She nodded. "I'm off to kick some butt. I'll contact you as soon as anything important arises, kay?" She flashed a smile.

_You're in denial kid. _K said, a despondent tenor vibrating through her voice.

_The Nile is a river in Africa. _She retorted, not quite understanding what "denial" was.

"I'll see you as soon as possible, now go off and chain Light to your arm again, I need to take a bath," She said, grabbing the sheets around her chest, making sure they stayed there.

He gave a sigh. "Fine. Just promise you come back," He said, pulling her into an embrace.

She placed her chin on his shoulder. "I cannot do that. I do not want to make promises I cannot keep." She murmured, placing a kiss on his neck.

"Then promise to be careful."

"I promise to be careful…" _I doubt I'll be able to keep that one but if I don't agree we'll most likely be stuck here for the rest of the day. _"I love you." She said, leaning back to kiss him on the lips.

"I love you, too."

They parted all too soon, L turned around, still holding Kat's hand. Kat dropped her hand, watching him walk towards the door. "I'll miss you." She said quietly, knowing he would hear.

"I'll miss you, too, Kat." It was too painful. It was as if they were saying goodbye forever. As if they both knew…

November fifth of 2007…she was set to die.

Kat's heart leapt up into her throat as she turned away from the door. She would not watch him walk away from her!

Suppressing a sob, she locked herself in the bathroom. Sliding down against the door, hand clamped on her mouth as silent tears went down her face.

-

The jet was completely silent.

Completely different to when she would travel with Lawliet and Mr. Wammy. They usually would keep up a pleasant banter, tease each other or something, but the autopilot plane seemed dead. She was aware that she was thousands of feet above the earth…but in that moment, she felt so alone. Curling herself up, she imitated Lawliet's sitting position, just blankly starring at her boots as if they would suddenly come to life and talk to her.

The solitude was too much…

Blandly, she wondered if this was how she was going to die, alone somewhere, without anyone to know whether she was breathing or not.

-

"Hi! May I speak with Kat?" Suture asked pleasantly, twirling her hair nervously. She had been working impetuously on her stutter, wanting to impress Kat when she appeared on her front step, able to speak without the speech impairment.

"_And who is this?"_ Asked the computerized voice.

"Eh? Ah, Suture; S, from the Orphanage!" She said enthusiastically, the thought that she punched in the wrong number passing her mind for only a second.

"_If you are indeed who you say you are, then what is the alias that K used while meeting you, and her features," it replied coolly. _

"Oh, she was Saionji Tomoe; silver hair and blue eyes, but when she met me on a later date she had her usual feline aesthetics, with green eyes, and we went out shopping too! I recommended a karaoke bar to her," she answered immediately.

"_The location of the Orphanage, then." _

"Somewhere in London England. I-I'm not all too sure the exact location but you could hear church bells chiming from our location," She confirmed.

"_You are who you say you are, S. However, I cannot disclose the location of K." _

"May I know the reason?"

"_She is somewhere in the air right now, locating a former classmate of yours I believe. Feel free to come to head quarters, I believe your assistance will be prudent in the succession of the case." _

"I'm speaking to L, right? Sure, I'll come. I'll help," Though she knew she was speaking with L, she could not help but remove the seventeen year old version of him out of her head. If K had changed so much since then, then he must've has well.

"_I'll have Watari come pick you up. Your alias?" _

"How about Nuime?" She replied, scanning her apartment, thinking of the various things she was going to have to pack.

"_Japanese for Suture. That will be fine. I will introduce you as S when you arrive but then we shall call you Nuime for safety, goodbye." _And the line went dead.

-

Kat stepped in front of the cell, ushering the inmate out. "C'mon, we don't have all day," K muttered irritated.

"Please refrain from hurrying me. Do you have my strawberry jam?" Said the decidedly male voice.

Kat glanced at the male. Shaggy dark brown hair, hunching figure, and eyes the color of blood…

"I see the corrective plastic surgery did you well…Beyond Birthday…"

-

**A/N: GAH! I was practically bawling when L left the room! Just so that I got into that "sad" mood, I watched the end of Titanic, L's Death, Matt's Death, Maes Hughes death then turned around and started listening to the saddest music I could find. There are literal tears falling from my cheeks right now. Did anyone else see the scene in the room when he left in their head? It's just so clear to me. **

**Anyways! Keep on reading! And reviewing! **

**-Maddy**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"Here's your jam," Kat muttered, handing the jar to him, turning around listlessly when she saw his eyes open up extremely wide. Though he was not specifically against them right now, she could not deny (K explained what it meant) that he still held the aura of "Psychopathic Homicidal Murderer."

"Thank you," By the time he said this however, he had gulped down the majority of the jar's contents.

"Slow down, Beyond, I did not bring another one with me, the rest are on the jet…" She muttered, wrinkling her nose up. Why had she chosen him again?

_Because Near, Mello and Matt are "under-qualified" and too young to be embarking on such a journey, not to mention having the knowledge that one of their idols is set to die. Plus, none of them possess the sheer brutality that Beyond has, not to mention that he is just about as smart as L or us. _K said offhandedly, no matter how much time went; the tenor of despondency was still woven within her voice.

_I am aware…_Kat muttered mentally, not at all liking the fact that she was the only one keeping her composure…even if they called it "denial."

"We should get onto the jet: China is only about an hour or two away from here…" She said, averting her eyes from his form. She _assumed_ that was the case. _Lawliet_ was usually the one punching in the coordinates, not her. So typically, he had figured a way to type them in while he was no where near them (albeit, with consent from the genius inventor that was Quillish Wammy). It truly baffled her, the things he would come up with. _"You are never satisfied with the present technology," _She had once said, amused. He of course retorted with something equally arcane to her at the time. _"I am never satisfied with present technology, so I seek refuge in the future…" _

The memory left a bittersweet taste in her mouth. Shaking her head, she climbed the steps that led into the jet, waiting by the door for BB to climb in so that she could press the code that would cause the aircraft to send a signal to headquarters and inform Lawliet to press in the next set of coordinates. She moved her body so that he could not see the numbers she put in…

She was so naïve…not to mention an ignorant moron. Even back then, when they were seventeen, when she had questioned who was the more intelligent creature out of Lawliet and herself… How could she have even compared herself to him? She could not even discern the hidden meanings behind his words…

When he had said "_I seek refuge in the future" _he had meant that he would wait for the future, hopefully wishing that both K and L would not be needed when it came…and, (she was still debating the probability of the next one) he was waiting for something big to happen in the upcoming years.

The only outcome she could compute was that, even when they were teenagers, at the hormonal age of seventeen; L Lawliet knew that he wanted to be with her, and had discreetly told her that he had fancied her…

She shook her head furiously. _No! I can't get all depressed now! I have to be tough and angered in front of these ignoramuses!_

_Maybe I should take over kid, before you start bawling like a little new born. _K said, trying to be helpful. It was one of the only times that she would not be sarcastic, for she knew that the situation was grave and they needed to treat it with severe somberness.

"Beyond," She called, turning around to a small compartment that was hidden in the jets cabin. _I think Lawliet just loves putting hidden compartments in everything he gets his hands on._

"…Yes…?" He answered, red eyes turning onto her form. Something of a dull red color came hurtling at him through the air.

"You can use it if and only if you see _me_ actually getting into a violent fight with the people we are about to meet." She murmured, watching as he unsheathed the shiny dagger.

Beyond paused for only a second.

He did not know this woman well, not at all.

He had seen a few glimpses of her in the orphanage, perhaps while playing one of those games with Suture…

He could only assume from her reputation, the following deduction. "I suppose this meeting we are to have is not expected to be a social one, correct? And judging by the way you give me the weapon and were glaring out the window only seconds before, you most have a personal vendetta against those whom we are about to visit…" He said, wiping his sticky hands on his pants before shoving the weapon into the confines of his jeans.

She heaved a sigh, shoulders slouching just a tad. "No. Not at all. So please prepare yourself."

-

They were not supposed to be like this! They were once prestigious people of society! They had once lived with the security that no one would find them; that they were the smartest there was! But then one of their own experiments becomes their downfall!

To anyone else, the scene that was a bunch of middle aged and elderly people shackled, cuffed and with electric shock collars would look inhumane and cruel. Galant people would most likely be outraged and go off, determined to free them all…

That is, if you could get passed the armed guards.

Some were confused as to why they were all standing there as a jet landed in front of them, others (the older ones) had a perfectly practical theory, while others just whined about the cold. However, as soon as the door to the unmarked aircraft opened, they all waited with bated breath for whoever was to come out of it.

And when they did see the porcelain skin, the emerald eyes narrowed into a glare unbefitting of the feminine features, and the feline aesthetics; a handful nearly had an anxiety attack, the majority spit the ground she walked on and a handful seemed to swell up in pride.

The man, conversely, that followed her, they were completely befuddled as to who he was.

"I see you remember me…." Muttered the feline woman, eyes closing, hands moving to put the thumbs in the pockets, revealing her bandages and sweat pants, previously hidden behind her parka. "But I am afraid that I am not here to discuss the weather over tea…"

Of course she wasn't! What did she take them for; fools?!

"Perhaps we should move inside the facility, that way my jam won't freeze…" The odd man muttered, walking briskly towards the hulking building, but stopped once he saw the electronic number pad.

"You don't expect me to be so reckless, do you Rue Ryuzaki? That would be completely out of character for me…" She murmured, opening her eyes to glance at her creators before falling to all fours and slinking her way over to Beyond, punching in another long sequence of numbers, and watching blankly as the doors opened. "Guards, you are dismissed. I can handle a bunch of elderly…" She commanded, authority and the hubris that was typically associated with K rumbling through her voice.

They all nodded, retreating into the forests of the Chinese facility. Who were they to even think a word against someone with such a harsh record of violence… she was not as gory as some mafia bosses or psychos, but she was not as lenient as the law enforcement….she fit in the middle somehow…

-

A small form slipped into the investigation room, under the nose of all but the raven haired detective, whose mood was nearing cataclysmic, to the ignorance of all but Light.

"I see you made it here, S." He said, grinding his nail against his teeth.

Her eyes opened real wide. "Of course I did, L. It would not have seemed all too polite if I failed to arrive…." She said, her normal voice slipping into an emotionless drawl. It was a sort of habit of all that came from Wammy's. Master the emotionless façade, the polite sarcasm and be a mastermind at creating aliases because no one but yourself could be trusted.

"You could not have come at a more convenient time; one of our members has been captured and is under suspicion of being a spy…"

What would have been the task force, had they not all quit the police, turned to gape at the woman standing at the door. They would have blinked, gaped and yelled profanity that L had lied to them had their not been significant differences…

For the girl standing at the door bore a striking resemblance to the absent cat girl. Had it not been for the fact that the pupils of her contacts were not slit, and her….movements were not so human. The cat girt usually moved with grace and a huntress like quality that was likely to be rare. But, had they not known prior that Kokoro was off somewhere out of the country, then they most likely would have turned around to their first thought, and questioned Ryuuzaki as to whether or not K had a twin that helped her out.

S was wearing a singlet with some baggy sweat pants, emulating the woman she had seen a while ago.

L had half a mind to ask how both her and Beyond had that uncanny habit of doing it but restrained himself, focusing on the task at hand. "Yagami-san, Light-kun, Mogi-san, I'd like to introduce you to S. But, for safety reasons, she will be addressed as Nuime…"

The newly christened Nuime nodded towards the task force, reaching up to play with a loose curl that simply had refused to be straightened when she went after it with her hot iron; "Not to be hasty, but I do believe that we have more pressing matters then simple pleasantries…however, pleasure to meet you, nonetheless."

L refrained from chuckling. Suture was trying to hard. Though she had successfully managed to copy the tenor and tone of Kat's voice (he planned to confront her about copying people's _identity_ later) he saw the subtle differences. Yet he felt that was a given, since he had been around the woman known as K nearly all his life. The fact that Suture had a small curl in front of her face and the amount of thought she put behind her words would have been enough for him to have claimed she was an imposter.

"Right, now back to the task at hand… Matsuda is currently up in Misa's 'apartment' with the rest of the models, Nuime will simply have to come and help Light-kun and myself with the rest seeing as she studied medicine at some point, correct?"

"Yes."

-

"Now, how are we going to go about this?" The self appointed leader of the scientists said with the utmost apathy.

Kat turned to her, eyes flashing between emotions. Beyond merely stayed, turning the knife in his pocket, examining it with his hands where no one could see him do so.

"Do not treat this as you are doing." Biting, no more the slightly mocking tone she had held outside, to make sure that no other human witnessed her severity.

"I believe I do not comprehend." Replied the woman; she was a gaunt woman, gray speckling her ebony locks, skin pulled tight over her cheek bones giving her a pinched look.

"I do not know the emotion, but I know that I do not like it. You are treating this with no emotion! At least feel some pity for the creature that _you_ created!" K spat, twisting around so fast she was a blur to the human eye.

"Then what is the problem we are to advise you on?" It was blatant, and a dull question at that, conversely, K acquiesced. She knew they would remain fighting till the day her death was assigned if she did not otherwise conform with the façade of the scientists and keep a reserved tone.

"My death." Beyond's eyes widened a fraction. He had not told her that they were here to negotiate her death, talk about her death or anything like that! "I came because not even the finest doctors, scientists or chemists would be able to accurately try to put off my death with out prior knowledge to what I am, adding to that, the chances of them exposing me and turning me in to be dissected like some common pest dissuaded me from it as well." She made sure to shoot down any arrogance that she might have created with her facts.

"That seems to be a pressing matter indeed, but what will we receive should we agree?" Asked the scientists, her eyes narrowing.

K's own eyes narrowed. "You get freedom," She paused, almost as if letting the words sink in. "There will be restrictions, but I will allow you to run health checks on any other of my kind that are out there. But, you are absolutely forbidden from creating more of my kind. Now, shall Rue and I start unchaining you in agreement? Or should I just sentence you to death and cope with the fact that my death is inevitable?" She asked coldly.

The scientists turned her head, and K's green eyes flickered over the small nods of the others as she stared them down. The woman turned to her. "We agree, my name is Xao Nuo; now unchain us."

A twitch on K's side; the hell were they to command her? She tossed a set of keys to Beyond. "Feel free to hurt them if they provoke you, Rue, she muttered, setting off to start unchaining the people, muttering something about 'scientific degenerates thinking they rule the world.'

Beyond nodded, silently taking all the heavy metal chains off of the scientists. His eyes glanced above every person's head as he freed them from their binds, eyes scrunching together when he found that some of them were destined to die not even a month from now. He new their names before they even uttered them, so he had no reason to introduce himself for he had all the information he needed.

He spared K a glance, his eyes drifting above her head, in between the two feline ears. The name would switch every now and again…and when he glanced at her eyes and face, he would see the flash in her eyes and the expression changes, almost as if she was having a conversation. But the emotions varied too much for it to have been even a whispered conversation, her lips were not even moving so it was obviously a moot point. His eyes returned to the names: Kew Keikan, Eve K, Kitten Tomo, Kat Kokoro…never in his life of having shinigami eyes had he ever witnessed such a thing.

Well, once actually. But it was in a case where he met a child on the street, his eyes had an unusual iridescent quality and his movements were predator like as he weaved in between the bystanders of Los Angeles. It was during that case with Naomi Misora and L. He had just finished running away from the FBI agent after testing her fighting and as he ran he found a boy, with amber eyes and oddly dark gray hair in rags, stalking after a mouse with a stony face.

And as he ran he looked above the child's head at almost the same time the boy looked straight into his eyes and fled the scene.

The name above his head alternated from a combination of numbers and letters, to "Kai" and back to the numbers…he did not get a chance to see his life span before the child had run off though…

Chances were that that was one of the escaped of K's kind. It was not a far off thought; if all of the guards and scientists had been captured (which he doubted they could have apprehended all of them: there always was at least _one_ leftover) then that would have given the experiments a chance to escape.

"All right," K muttered as she finished the last one off, dusting her hands off. "Now. How are we to go about this?"

"We must test. We do not know how far you have progressed or regressed. Therefore, we must make sure that all the predictions that were made decades ago were not invalid." One of them spoke up bravely when he saw that no one else felt at ease with being commanded by their creation.

"How much of a probability is there that the prediction that I am set to die on November 5th was miscalculated?" She asked, a small glimmer of hope in her voice.

"About three percent, your body will have not have changed as much, so that means that chances of our hypotheses being correct is almost a sure thing," He said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

She slipped into a slouch. "But there is still a three percent chance that it is wrong. I will be optimistic for a change. I will hope that you all were wrong, I will even go as far as foolishly think that I might live past November and see the December snow in London…" _Because I love you, I am trying to prolong my life, because I want to __keep __loving you!!!_ Those words kept her going. She truly wanted to keep living, even if just a little bit. She wanted to see the Kira case end so that L might have a chance of loving her (and her him) without having a lingering task force on their tails.

"That is fine. I suppose we shall have to do some physical exams, followed by the usual mental stability and some psyche testing. What do you do in life, by the way?"

"I am agent K. I do suicide mission no one else would willingly take. I help out Detective L, Eraldo Coil and Deneuve…" She said, brushing her bangs out of her face, eye half lidded in a show of annoyance. Beyond noticed the sudden changed in her attitude, matching the name with the mood. This one was Eve K.

"And what case are you currently working on? Or mission?" Asked another.

"The Kira case." She said. "We have for nearly a year. There has been no progress. Beyond that I cannot say. Details are strictly confidential unless you are approved by both L and I that you are worth our trust and are not, in fact, Kira. So, seeing as L is not here, please do not ask me for details." A tape recorder. That is what she sounded like; the way she _recited_ it, as if she had said it one too many times for her liking.

"I see. Are the labs in good condition for testing?"

Kat nodded. "Even if I was wary of it. Everything is in top shape. Please be aware that extra security cameras have been installed everywhere, so if anything is deemed suspicious, we will not hesitate to kill you. We would rather kill then ask questions."

And with that, she started off through the corridors, on the inside both Kat and Kitten shrank away from the hallways, flashes of horrific memories ready to flood her consciousness. But they suppressed it…they would have to confront their fears some day…not today, as to the reason why K and Kew were the ones that had taken wheel of the body to speak, they could stall for a while longer…

_**A/N: Okay people. I have miscalculated. I simply **_**cannot**_** find away to end this story in a chapter or two. It seems impossible seeing as my fingers are more in control than my mind. The story is coming easily with only a few road bumps. And frankly, my mind is still searching for a … nah. I say that word I'll ruin everything. This is a change from the depression that I violently threw you guys into, ne? And I have a question for you guys; did any catch onto the whole "**_**No regrets"**_** thing I put in when Kat confessed to L (that was L saying 'no regrets' not Kat)? And the fact that she woke up and had to keep the sheets around her chest? No? Okay. Then those who did not catch up are going to have a wake up call sooner or later. Sorry for the lateness by the way, I was being screamed at by my teachers, the whole "responsibilities and priorities" spiel that they seem to have memorized. I am working on some stuff for my other stories and this one. Well, Ja ne! My mother is kicking me off the computer! Oh! And my story is longer than a few of the Harry Potter books as of now. :D **_


	36. Chapter 36

K glared at the person who was inserting a syringe into her flesh. It was not because she did not trust her; oh no, she had B lurking in the corner with a crate of jam and the knife she had given him a few days ago. No, what was bothering her was the fact that she was hyperaware of what was happening.

The way the pointed and hollow tip poked through her skin, into a vein then began sucking out the dark crimson liquid. The first time they tried to do this she about rammed her foot into the doctors groin, seeing as it was so foreign to her she thought they were doing some weird test again like in the old days.

Being that she had pulled that move on a bunch of degenerates when she was on missions, it was no surprise for her when the old coot fell to the ground holding onto his part. However, her eyebrows had risen just a bit when he moaned about how he thought he was bleeding.

So now, she was left with what she named the second most uncomfortable feeling in the world. First to only the ache she felt…it was hollow and wholly uncomfortable, perhaps ten times that of the syringe in her vein. It was not an ache of physical pain though…emotional, though, yes. The most time she had ever been away from L was what; a week?

She arrived on October 9th…it was now October 21st. _Only twelve days, and I miss him terribly..._

She resisted giving a sigh of relief when the woman.

"What other tests are left before you can accurately decide my death date?" Her tone was weary and completely devoid of any energy. All the tests were so taxing on her…she felt so tired all the time now. However, she could not help but feel…off somehow. Besides being more tired this year than any other, besides feeling the syringe and above all else, besides feeling the need to rip out the heart of every scientist who encountered her in the halls.

She just felt off. It was not her feline aspects, that was for sure; she had preened her fur and prodded it until she deemed that those parts of her were fine…

With a barely audible sigh, she slipped off of the examination table, reaching up to massage the space between her shoulder and neck, frowning when the soreness did not go away.

"One more…and then we might be able to come up with a…conclusion to your dilemma," The woman said in a scratchy soprano, almost causing K to wince. The woman turned on her heel and out of the room, most likely to examine the fresh blood sample.

Muttering about how _old_ she felt, K followed the scientists, B in her wake.

That was another thing. Beyond was acting far odder than was in character for him. He would glance above her head and between her feline ears, then her face, and repeat the process. It was Kew that had noticed this first, and it had all of them on high alert.

She was close to ramming her foot in _his_ crotch as well.

But she quelled her impulse, settling for small and vague conversations with him.

"When will the results be done?" B asked when he saw that K was enveloped in her own thoughts (nowadays it only took a glance above her head and eyes to determine if she was daydreaming or having a conversation).

"By midnight. The last tests will be conducted then. Now please be off, I must examine this." She commanded, ripping K from her reverie and reflexively causing her to send a vicious glare. Oh how at times she felt like ripping these peoples faces off for commanding _her_ when she was the one that could call for their execution with only a phone call or electronic mail.

_We should call Lawliet, get updates on the progress of the case…_Kat said helpfully.

K nodded. "That's a good idea," She mused to herself. Then to B she turned. "We should contact our counterparts and inform them of our standings, perhaps see the progress of the Kira case…" She said, automatically striding through the sterile corridors, bound for the big conference room she had transformed into a monitor room much like the one at headquarters, however, this one worked to link those she knew, not observe others perversely.

When K opened the doors to the room, she muttered curses as her eyes came upon the scientists that were gazing at the monitors.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, quite peeved.

Most seemed to jump at the sound of her terse voice, hearing the threat that wordlessly flowed from her lips.

"We were trying to-" However, K stuck to her promises and ran towards what she deemed was the leader of these rebels, a blur to completely human eyes, lifting her leg above her head and ramming it down, a vicious _crunch _was heard as her boot clad foot came in contact with the man.

However, she was not the one that was holding back tears from pain, and she was not the one who had given a cry of pain.

Lawliet, Mr. Wammy and her had come together one day when they were fifteen, deeming that fighting without protective gear was reckless, so they created this thin protective layer for her boots and gloves, created to protect her and cause the victim much pain when she struck; even after all the years, they were still in great shape.

The man crumpled into a heap on the floor, grunting in pain. "Far be it for me to not honor my promises…" She muttered, darkly, contempt reverberating through her voice. She looked up from the crumpled human to the others. "Now, what the hell was going on here?" She asked; the childlike way she demanded it coupled with the glint in her eye sent shivers down all of their spines. It was one that was mirrored in the man who stood behind her whenever he would look at his knife. "And I want the truth now, no lying because you know—no. You designed me to be able to detect lies within the instant it leaves your mouth. I will do worse then drop kick you, I will let Rue take care of you, and you will dislike his ways even more than mine." Bloodlust; that was what the glint in her eye was.

It was far different than the feral and raw power that consumed her when she had gotten enraged within the past few days; it was icy, completely devoid of any human emotion…and the way her eyes glinted…they saw a ferocious tigress in place of what was their creation.

Under the power of her stare, one brave soul spoke up. "We were seeing if any of our contacts were still willing to cooperate with us."

_You shouldn't kill them…we still need them. We can't kill them…you can go on a rampage when they are done with the task we gave them…_Kew muttered, ruefully.

_We have enough blood on our paws as it is…_Kat spoke up, what most likely was the first time in there stay at the facility.

K's eyes glared at them before she practically spat, "Leave." And all left without a second thought.

She set to turning on the monitors, spitting curses under her breath about the humans who loved to burden her with even m ore harrowing problems than she had on her shoulders.

Beyond watched her; then glanced back up between her ears…the numbers…His eyes stayed glued to the place between her ears, blank as he stuffed another handful of strawberry jam into his mouth. _2…_He had long ago figured how to decipher the numbers…but, this was just baffling.

-

_**BAM!**_

"Again?!"

"Okay, you guys hit each other at the same time! Let's call this one a draw!" Matsuda said, being the mediator.

Suture merely watched on, silent at staring at the computer that L was sitting in front of, where a gothic letters appeared. Both sets scarlet with a black background.

"Agent K and BB are contacting us, she said quietly, moving over to the monitors to press the button that would allow it. Immediately, L sprung up from his position on the floor, choosing to e the screen a penetrating stare, ignoring the throbbing pain in his cheek.

"_Ryuuzaki…"_ Came the electronically altered voice.

"Hello, Kokoro…" He said without a thought. A pause of silence.

"_You are injured…_" The voice, even changed, had a weary and tired tone.

"How would she know that? She can't even see him…" Matsuda whispered to Light.

"_The fact that I have four monitors in front of me, two with the letters L and S, and the other with live video and audio feed…"_ She said, answering Matsuda's question in a tone that suggested she was talking to a small child.

"_Pleasure to see you again Suture…" _Said another voice.

"As it is to hear you again..." Suture responded softly, suppressing the glee that built up in her chest from hearing her childhood crush.

"_We should not dwell on pleasantries….there is business to be dealt with; now. Who the hell hurt you?"_ Kat demanded.

"_Is it really safe for us to be talking so freely in front of those not like us…?" _The task force concluded it was the person who had two Bs on their screen.

"Of course. Unless we talk about Kokoro's mission over there with you…then I would have to take more precautions." L responded, casually pulling his tea to himself.

"_No changing the subject, Ryuuzaki. I just drop kicked someone for attempting contact criminals…I am in no mood for stalling. Now; who the hell hurt you—" _A pause._ "It was Light wasn't it? Light-san, I suppose he hit you as well?" _Silence reigned. "_Suture, I give you permission to hit them on the head should they ever start fighting again. And no Matsuda, I said Suture; you have no such permission from me."_ More silence.

"_How is the Kira case progressing…?" _BB asked.

"Has he gained your trust, K?" Asked Suture.

"_Yes. We can trust him with details of the case…_"

"Well then. We have found that of the former eight of Yotsuba, now seven because of Hatori's death; Kira could possibly be. Light-un just finished convincing one of them to postpone the murders they had planned till a month from now. Cameras have been installed and all, thanks to Wedy."

-

K stared at the screen where Lawliet's face was, pondering lightly the progression of the case. "That is good. Ryuuzaki, please ask Watari to erase that file we have…case number 12010202. The last tests are today…I'll be there soon enough if all goes well." And with that, she made it so that they would no longer be able to hear her. However, she remained watching.

-

. A simple code. _The twelfth letter of the alphabet, the first, and then the second twice. So she wants me to erase all records of that case… _

"We can't say for certain that Kira is one of those seven. If they are merely connected to him, then the murders of the criminals would not stop, even if we were to capture the men of Yotsuba. Rather, those seven would just be killed by Kira." He picked up sugar cubes from a little container, completely ignoring the small tongs. "If we are not absolutely certain that Kira is among those seven, then it is meaningless to capture them right now. And even if he were there right now, it is difficult to tell who Kira is. I believe that it is still too early to tell."

And Suture just stood by, watching. It was all she ever did. No wonder Kat had pulled her away one day to have a "break." This was completely killing her, she felt so useless. The only time she used her medical knowledge was when they took Matsuda away in as EMTs and she examined him for any lacerations. Unless they found a fresh dead body, then she would not be able to perform an autopsy and determine what the murder weapon might be…Other coroners had examined the bodies, sure, but they most likely did not have the same education as her. Who else grows up in an Orphanage for prodigies?

"H-however, if you can't say for sure that he is not one of the seven, then there's still a chance that you could stop the deaths of the convicts by capturing them…." Yagami-san explained, trying to convince L.

"True…it's as father says. There is also that possibility…"

L just continued plopping sugar cubes into his tea. _………as I thought….No use…._ "Correct, you _might_ be able to stop the deaths of the convicts…" He admitted.

"Then, putting human lives as out top priority, we should capture those seven," Soichiro exclaimed.

L winced. _Human. If only he knew…but then again, most of these people have a less than good opinion of her, so it would not change anything. _

"However, chief, that's very difficult…we are no longer policemen nor will the police cooperate with us…as Ryuuzaki said, it would be better to obtain both Kira and the evidence…" Matsuda was siding with him for a change…

Suture nodded. "I agree with Matsuda." But she was ignored.

"No, what's important is stopping the number of victims, even if it's only one." Soichiro insisted, trying to persevere.

"Um….Actually, I'm going to pursue Kira on my own." He said quite plainly, dropping more sugar into his tea, creating a splattering mess. "I will lend these headquarters to Yagami-san's group and I myself will use it as well. If Yagami-san wants to capture them using your methods, then you can do as you wish. I will investigate in my own way. If we don't do that, we would just begin quarrelling. Let us work separately."

"In other words, Ryuuzaki, you will pursue Kira to the end by pressuring him…"

-

At this point, K chose to press the record button and turn around to leave the room. Beyond following her like a shadow.

It was eleven in Japan meaning that it was twelve currently. The tests must have been finished…

Her gait was quick, expressing her need for answers very clearly.

And yet, when she entered the "examination and research" room, she saw a bunch of the scientists gaping.

"Are the results in yet…?" She asked when no one paid heed to her.

In an instant they swarmed around her. "How is this possible!? A stage one, first generation hybrid should not be able to—" "—And that means all of them were wrong—" "—But the supervisors of her series said—" "—We never tested for that! We just assumed—"

"_**Enough!**_" Roared a very miffed K. Who wouldn't be, they were all prodding her, ogling her and talking as if she was not there and could not understand them.

"What are you people talking about…?" Beyond asked for her when he saw she was trying to regain her breath, his voice mildly curious.

"Well," Said Nuo, eyes no longer ridden with the emotionless she had spoken to them when they first arrived. "I was your main supervisor. I recorded my findings…The K series and all other series we investigated…well, they always came out negative…we never thought to try testing it on seven year old, premature creation…it was irrational. We would have had to wait until you at least reached the age of twelve…but you were set to be terminated so we never got a chance…until now…"

"No more riddles. Just say what you are trying to say." K said, resisting the need to put her hand on her forehead.

"We have concluded that the prediction of your death date…is obsolete. See, when we predicted your death it was because it was complacent with the chemical balance of your brain. With how it was fluctuating in all of the one within the K series, well, it usually led to the death of the test subject, but it was far faster than when we last checked your brain. However, now…"

"Get to the damn point!"

"There are two points actually. Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" Asked Nuo, patience wearing thin as she massaged her wrinkled forehead with the tips of her fingertips.

"Does it matter? Just tell me." K insisted, voice nearing a hiss.

"Your date of death is approximately anywhere from a year to _ten_ years from now. I am not sure…"

_**CRASH!**_

She had punched a near by table, causing a vase to hit the floor. "Then why all the tests?!"

"To determine that. We don't need anymore tests. Your are completely healthy…however, I have a few questions of you. Do you have a mate, and have you ever mated?"

"Yes and yes; what is the purpose of this?!"

"When did you last mate?" Nuo persisted, now she was wearing _K's_ patience thin.

"October 8th, why?!"

"Well, do you love this…human, I assume?"

_Oh for the love of…_ "Yes! I do! What the hell is that your business?!"

"It is my business because the K series was specially designed for warfare and to be emotionless. No love, no anger, no hate; just stoic-ness. The K series, stage one generation one, was supposed to be sterile as well. The point is…you are pregnant…and it is progressing 1.5 times faster than the normal human gestation. It has been thirteen days since conception, but your…_kittens, cubs, litter, babies…_whatever you want to them are at about the stage that a human fetus would be about nineteen to twenty days in the development process…I suggest you tell your…_mate._ But you must come at least once a month here. I want to record the progress of this…your gestation should be a total of about six months…"

However, K was in a state of shock, so Kew took over. "I-I want what you call an ... ultrasound? Could you be able to detect it?" She asked, shakily, reaching to steady herself, only finding that Beyond already had a firm grip of her arm.

"Yes. We shall make copies of it…no doubt you will want to show them to your mate…"

"And of my splitting headaches?" She questioned, dizzily.

"Most likely one of the side effects of the version of multiple personality disorder that you contracted due to you hybridized DNA…"

And then Kew fainted, black consuming her vision…_How am I going to tell Lawliet…?_

_**A/N: **_**I pro'lly will get flames for this….but it was in the plans…It's the wake up call I was planning to give all you… My sister is a nurse, studying to be an OBGYN so she helped me with the whole, can you get an ultrasound at 20 days, and all other pregnancy stuff. Please review. I want to hear your thoughts on this particular development (I've been using that word a lot today, haven't I?). Hope you liked it. Next chapter should be up in a little while.**

**Ja ne**

**-Maddy**


	37. Chapter 37

**Edited by: Kugnae**

**Chapter 37**

Neither K, nor Kew, nor Kat could comprehend the words that were uttered to her…while Kitten jumped around quickly, very much hyper.

How could she be pregnant? It was completely unethical and impractical. How could a scientific experiment, a prototype no less, be able to reproduce? Especially outside of her _species_!

Perhaps it was that she was still in shock.

Yes. That was probable. The fact of the matter was—she had trouble even _thinking_ the word inside her head—pregnant was still relatively new to her. All of the files about her had been locked away long ago, so she obviously had no way of even knowing that she was capable of reproduction, or even if she was sterile like the scientists had assumed. She obviously had no way to _test _whether she was capable, so this thought never really crossed her mind.

_We're having a litter! We're having a litter! A bunch of little miniature Ks and Kats and Kittens and Kews and Lawliets!_ Kitten chanted; blissfully unaware that they were still in the hole that had caused her to fall into a frightened stupor for the past twelve days.

_Shut the hell up, brat! The average feline, wild or not, only has from two to five in a litter! Not to mention that it's rare for a human to have more than one! _K roared, having had enough of the childlike persona's bubbly attitude.

_Wah! Stop being so mean! Can't you see? We're having a litter! We've always preferred miniature humans to any others! Why are you so cranky? _Kitten asked, in all essence, the epitome of immature.

The other three personas sighed simultaneously, feeling the ghost of a throb in their forehead. If Kira did not kill them, Kitten's ignorance would.

_Kitten,_ Kew murmured, being the most likely to not say something wrong to the 'child.' _None of _our_ kind has ever had children. There may be added complications and risks to this…It might affect our health, one of them might die, this is very serious. We cannot act all happy-go-lucky about this. _

_I think we should get up…before they think we're dead and begin an autopsy. _K spat, completely put off. She was _not_ ready to have any type of progeny, what with the job that they had. One wrong move and she'd leave the things without a mother, not to mention that with the Kira case going on, they might not even get a chance to even have a first breath before becoming one of the many mortalities of the case. Another statistic.

-

Kew woke up a groggy mess, in a cocoon of blankets. "Nngh…" She moaned, pushing herself up.

Remembering where she was, her eyes flew open, only to be met with crimson irises.

She swallowed the scream that built up in her throat. (After all, she was not the fearless persona…she was just the host body, the one that strived to seem human…)

"Good. You're awake," Beyond said, backing up from her, falling on all fours and crawling over to a corner of the room, presumably where he had a crate of jam stationed.

"What happened?" Kew asked despite herself.

"You fainted," He said simply, opening a jar of his precious 'food.'

_Give the man a prize, he figured out the obvious. _K sneered, sarcasm full through out her voice.

_Well, Kew asked an obvious question so we get an obvious answer, I suppose…_ Kat muttered, unsure whether or not K was being sincere or not; how would they get a prize for him?

"Yes…I remember. Have they done the ultrasound?" She asked, letting her body melt into the pillows. _And this is why I love Lawliet's impeccable love for luxury. This is certainly better than the motel beds and pillows I sleep on during missions…_

"They said something about it being to early—whether human or hybrid—to be able to see a clear trans-abdominal ultrasound, so the opted for a trans-vaginal one…" And this was all said with a calm face as he dipped his fingers into his jam.

She froze; now, she had very little medical understanding, but she did know of a few terms that came up in a book she once read when she was younger, coupled with the shows and soap operas she was forced to watch with Misa…

"Hm…I certainly feel violated now…"

_Violated?! They put some weird machine—oh man! This is so horrible! _Kat whined.

_Oh, kid, horrible doesn't begin to cover it. More like, those perverted asshol— Oh! I'm _not_ gonna deal with this._ K ranted before going silent, most likely off imagining the deaths of a bunch of the scientists in the dark recesses of her mind.

"Did they say when I would be able to leave?" She asked, averting her eyes from the repulsive way Beyond was eating; at least she and L used utensils when it came to sticky stuff like that...

Beyond paused, once more looking above her head. _It seems that this Kew persona is much more…placid than the others. _"As soon as you feel able, you may. They said nothing in particular, but since you are the one that organized it, I suppose you are the one that can choose to come and go as you please."

Kew nodded, shutting her eyes. She still had one question left…then she could set off back to Japan, assist in all she could (which was just another way of saying that she was going to put off telling L that she was pregnant), then…well, she couldn't see herself going any farther than that. If all went as planned, they could very well be incarcerating a Kira from what L told her.

But then…an idle thought flitted through her mind. A couple, actually.

"Beyond. The whole LABB murder fiasco…you did that because of the pressure of turning both you and A into a copy of L, along with the rest of the alphabet, correct? From what L told me, you wanted to create a case that he could not solve…" She reached up to twirl her hair, staring at the ceiling. "And so it led to your suicide attempt…" She trailed off; pensive for a few moments. "Humans are very peculiar. Why exactly do you not have a vendetta against him?" She questioned, making it a point of not aiming her eyes at him. In past situations, a single glance of her unusual eyes would sway people into giving her answers, but she knew that he had equally unusual eyes so it would hold no power over him.

_Hm, though this one is more placid it seems that she has more of a need for answers and will be quite blunt about it. _"He did not solve the case. He provided assistance for Naomi Misora, but did not solve it himself. He was not able to conclude that the last victim was me. Only that I was going to kill someone. The one who solved it was Misora. He took the case, but failed to solve it. I am satisfied with it." It was not as if she was going to smother the answers out of him. They were both quite capable of defending themselves, and just as unstable. "And I do not recall ever saying that I do not have a vendetta against him. He is not my friend, but he is not my enemy either." And he resisted the cruel grin that was bound to rise. He knew full well he had succeeded in confusing her.

However, she seemed to shake it off. "What about Suture? Do you remember her? I shall be sending her here in my place to research. Perhaps send some of the cadavers of the Kira case, see what you make of it; you both are still fascinated by medicine and death, correct?" Such morbid questions said so nonchalantly.

Beyond paused in his gorging, but Kew was not sure whether it was to ponder the question or if he was deciphering her test.

He did not know _her_ as a person. It's obvious to come to the conclusion that she had adopted L's knack for testing each person to see if they were attempting to deceive her. Kew was the host, she was neutral to nearly everything, she was cautious, at times motherly and ready to tests her boundaries if the time came; in all essence, she was the one who could portray a human so well, the one that provided that little bit that helped them blend in to society should that need arise.

Conversely, this was not a test to see if he was trying to deceive her; no, oh no: This was more along the lines of providing some…amusement and perverse inquisitiveness.

"I suppose. I have not seen Suture in a while. How is she doing?"

_Oh for the love of— Why must he be so detached…? It makes things much harder…then again, we never turn down a challenge. _Kew mused, her face kept its secrets significantly better than the rest of the personas could ever hope for.

"Fine," She paused, eyeing his responses discreetly. "I wonder how she'll react to seeing you again?" She said dryly.

However, Beyond displayed no other emotion; rather, he just gave an impassive nod and stood up to leave the room. 

Kew frowned as he left, turning to her side, tangling the sheets further around her feet. _I still refuse to let go of the theory that he loves to confuse us as much as any other human on this forsaken planet…_

_You just don't like him because he looks way too much like L since that damn surgery, so it feels weird to have him snub us, not to mention he can actually confuse _all _of us. _K muttered, figuratively coming back from the little corner she had holed herself in.

_You come in at the most inopportune times…_Kat reprimanded. _Let _us_ rant for a change. You and Kitten seem to be the only ones allowed, ever._

"I think you should all be quiet. There are more pressing matters to think about," Kew said aloud, frowning when her acute senses took in the smell of stagnant and humid air. She pushed that thought to the side. No matter how much her instincts whispered to her that something might be wrong. "Like if we actually want to bring in any other being into this world. He, she, or they would most likely feel like an outcast because of their genetics. There's no way in hell I'm going to stand by and watch a _child_ tell me that it wants to commit suicide or worse…"

Suddenly, the image of a small child with a noose around its neck appeared in her head, swinging slightly in one of their many living rooms or garages. She flinched violently at the very thought of that. _There is no way we'll allow that to happen!_ K snarled quite violently. 

_Maybe we should abort it…_ Kat offered, her voice clearly betraying the suggestion.

_That's the same as killing! No! _Kitten shrieked frantically, the hysteria already about to burst through.

"Even if that's the case, you all know that he'd never agree to that…" Kew reminded them both. "Do we even know how many we are going to have? It might be one, it might be two, worse case scenario it's five…" Her hand flitted to her exposed stomach under the covers, touching it softly as if any harder it might hurt the little beings growing inside of her.

"No. Actually, it's three," Said a voice from the door.

Kew twisted her neck around, eyes focusing on the willowy figure of Nuo. "What do you mean?" She asked, vertigo hitting her strong and hard.

"You're having three, in your 'litter'," She stated this emotionlessly, as if she were discussing the weather.

"We," Kew corrected. "I have a mate, he is as much a part of this as myself."

One of Nuo's gray brows lifted. "You mean that young man you came with?"

If Kew had been drinking anything, or eating for that matter, she surely would have choked. "You mean Rue? No, no, no! He's just here as a reinforcement! Another mentally unstable being to speak with!" She insisted; he may have looked and acted like L but he was in no way _Lawliet._ L and Lawliet were completely different entities, as much as K and Kitten were.

"Right. When shall you be leaving?" Nuo asked, changing the subject quickly in a very taciturn manner.

"I have one more question for you. That serum you made to turn a human into one of my kind temporarily… what is its duration? And what type of a dose would it take to get them to be nearly a copy of me? Chemically and hypothetically speaking at least." She questioned, thoughts on a similar subject.

"I would not know the exact numbers, but it would most likely be about two units of twenty milliliters, in doses." She said, eyes fogging up a bit, head caught up with memories of the past. "The only way to get them to actually act like you, and function like you temporarily is if you start off with the first dose at least a week in advance, then the next one on the seventh day so that it is most potent in the blood. So far, it has worked well that way," She finished, comprehension dawning on her face as Kew reached for her cell phone, pressing the speed dial.

"You plan on using our methods? I thought you were repulsed by them?" Nuo asked, she was completely baffled and it was painfully obvious to Kew.

She put one finger in the air before she gave out orders in rapid French, narrowing her eyes at one point before snapping out what seemed like a demand before snapping the phone shut, continuing with the conversation as if nothing had happened. "Yes to both. As much as it chagrins me to admit, there are certain advantages to the serums and tonics that you humans created. "Before you ask—" She quickly intercepted when she saw the older woman about to speak again. "I had the serum reproduced using some files we acquired. I trust my contact in that it is completely functional or else…well, you are already aware of my "act first, ask questions later…. If this is still possible" way of doing things. Now be a good little human and leave. I need to pack my things." Towards the end, it was K who had had enough of the pestering and decided that they needed to actually start gathering their belongings. Not that there were many in the first place.

Nuo adopted this odd, flabbergasted look; her eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline. Her mouth gaped open…then closed…then opened and repeated the entire process over again. It vaguely reminded them all of a fish…which sent her stomach rumbling.

The scientist left the room, most likely more irked then when she came.

Sluggishly, she dragged herself out of the mess of comforters and sheets; and when that was accomplished, she practically ran to her miniature fridge, grabbing the first premade milkshake she could find.

-

Aizawa typed on his laptop furiously.

He had finally cracked the puzzle.

He was not any super detective like L, a renowned suicide agent like K, or even a genius like Light; but he had cracked it!

It took much of his free time away. He found himself loosing a bit of weight trying to figure out the intricate equations, brain teasers and word puzzles. However, in the end, he finally succeeded.

And so he sat there, accessing a website, putting in the passwords listed on the paper in numerical order until the screen of his computer went black.

His heart lurched and his stomach plummeted; what did he do wrong?

Before he could begin chastising himself, a gray window opened up in the middle of the screen with the small salutation of "Welcome. Please insert the case number to proceed. If you do not type with in the next minute, this computer will be infected with a malicious virus."

It shouldn't have annoyed Aizawa that much; he should have known that they would want to keep there secrets. So, he typed in as quick and accurately as he could the code "_K02257496._"

Almost immediately, another screen came up demanding a password, which he inserted again. All was going well, until the final barrier showed itself. He simply gaped at the computer. "What is Agent K's real name?"

So she had given him the last information! If anyone had stolen the file, per chance, and was somehow able to decipher everything (which he doubted)… They would still be out of luck, as they were missing one key part of the solution. "K-e-w K-e-i-k-a-n."

He waited five minutes, his expecting eyes narrowing into a glare when nothing happened. He was mere seconds away from slamming the laptop shut when pages upon pages of information cascaded across his screen. The top page was titled "The Hybrid Case of 1989."

-

**October 22, 2007**

**-**

She trudged along the sidewalk quietly. By now, Suture was already on her way to China and Lawliet would be waiting for her. _With Light at his side. _

Kat's green eyes wandered to the sky thoughtfully, only to darken when they saw the black clouds in the sky, void of all color. Rain was soon to come.

Tokyo did not seem as welcoming a place as it was before the Kira case, more specifically, before Light came to the task force. The sense of doom still lingered…

She shook her head before taking a short cut around back. _No way are we going through all the security checks…_

Yes, as her energy level dwindled, she confirmed it. _Something bad is going to happen soon…I just hope it's not to anyone I care about…_

_**A/N: I thank the wonderful Kugnae-san for editing this chapter! I am working on an AMV for this story…or a trailer of sorts…whatever you might wish to call it! Remember! Reviews encourage me to write write write! You may comment on anything you liked, disliked or even are curious about! You can ask questions, too! I'll answer them to the best of my ability! Hope you enjoyed it! -Maddy**_


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: Ugh, anyone else feel like giving FF a good kick in the knees? I've had this done for a long time but when I want to post, I can't log in! Whatever, Please read and enjoy.**

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**Edited by ****Kugnae****-san**

**Chapter 38**

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_Façades, façades and mo—hey! Look! Ice cream galore!_

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**October 22****nd****, 2007**

L spun around in his chair, the clinking of the annoying chains following the movement; when he heard the soft clicking sounds of boots on tile.

He had been expecting that sound for quite a while. Whereas the task force would have never seen the anticipation hidden behind his stoic mask, she surely would have been able to pick away at his emotions (However that did not mean that she would understand them).

His eyes kept wandering to the small monitor that was off to the side, the one that showed the room that was shared between all three of them.

If he was correct (which was ninety-seven percent of the time), then rather than enter through the front of the building and have to go through all of those extra precautionary security checks (_"Complete waste if an exceptional burglar comes in," K had told him after pointing out some flaws in the buildings cameras and the infrared lasers they had stationed in some places.)_ she would find a way to slip in through a vent or window—most likely a window. (_"Vents are beneath me,"_ _K had muttered, snootily. "Technically, they are above you," Lawliet said while pulling a sundae towards him. "Horrible pun.") _

He blinked a few times, opening his ears to the conversation that was happening. Amane had convinced Higuchi not to kill. He would be stuck down there _for a while._ Which meant, he would not be able to see Kat _for a while_.

But when he saw a slender figure slipping through the window of their room, he forced down the lopsided grin that wanted to bubble up, wrenching up the stoic façade instead.

-

**October 28****th, ****2007**

Kat muttered a string of profanities, completely ignoring Kew who began scolding her for her language.

How many days had gone by while she was rotting away in the room? _They can drop dead and we wouldn't know…_K said, noncommittally.

_Damn it, K!_ Kew exclaimed when Kat was thrown into a frantic stupor and Kitten's shrieking and crying were heard through out the vast planes of their mind. _If there was a physical way for me to knock some sense into you without hurting the body, I would! _She ranted. _Who the hell is stupid enough to say that when we are around child personas?!_

_May I remind you,_ K refuted snidely. _We might be different entities mentally and emotionally, but we are literally the same. So why are you calling yourself stupid? _

Kew just about blew up, figuratively. _Shut up! For once in your existence, shut up! Your sarcasm, bloodlust, and need to cause mayhem are not needed! _

_So, the detached _human_ has a temper…_K mused, but she went quiet as the "human-like" and "maternal" one sifted through their mind trying to find where Kitten had holed herself in, trying to comfort the little persona.

Kat, brought back from her stupor when she heard K addressing her, saying that it was just a phrase, flopped down on one of the beds.

They were all completely different.

When she retreated into their mind, she saw them there, or at least, what _they_ wanted to portray. But it really was a mess to explain, why she could "see" them. She supposed it was because her mind wanted to dream up some sort of representation of them instead of voices that came from nowhere.

Kitten was the small one. She had the six year old body of the host, but more…frivolous. More emotional and…kitten-like… She always wore some sort of dress but never red. (All but K flinched away from the color.) She was always so whimsical; it sometimes gave the other personas a severe headache.

K. She was a hard one. She always preferred to stalk around in the darker places of their mind. She was a very imposing figure. Her eyes always had that menacing glow to them, the ruffled raven hair, and the gleaming canines, sometimes wandering about in the form of a Maltese tiger.

Kat herself, preferred to "be" fifteen. In all essence, she could not think farther than that. She acted like a teenager, albeit a completely oblivious one, but one none the less. So when she "appeared" in their mind, she was basically the same, save for the fact that she occasionally shifted into a tabby cat…

Kew was the mystery though. She was just someone you never saw but knew was their. She _was_ the person they were in, the one who was meant to have full control, but she mentally stayed in the form of a black panther.

She gave a frustrated sigh before twisting around hopefully when she heard the door open, heart picking up speed. _Lawliet—?!_

—No; Just Mr. Wammy bringing her another milkshake and a wide assortment of desserts and fruits.

"Hello, Watari," She said, trying her best not to let her disappointment leak through. Was she that desperate to see her mate?

"Hello, dear. What's wrong?" He asked while putting the plates onto her bed. Kat should have expected this. He would know them like the back of his hand after practically raising them and becoming their "father." (_"What she needs is a mother-figure…" Someone had whispered, though she didn't remember who. "The way she _gorges_ herself is completely repulsive." _Needless to say, she remembered K taking over and throwing some tuna into their face, smirking when they heard the _GLOP._)

She did not feel like pulling on one of her façades. What would be the point? He would surely see through it. She pulled the chocolate ice cream tub towards her, picking up a teaspoon and snuggling into the cocoon of warmth that was the comforter. "Would you like the summary for now, or the whole full story?" She questioned blankly, stuffing a gigantic spoon full of ice cream in her mouth.

Mr. Wammy deliberated for a few seconds. "The summary; we are catching the third Kira today, as you may know."

Kat froze for a second before shoving her spoon into the ice cream more forcefully. "Summary is: I have to give you both the serum today then again on November 5th, I'm pregnant with triplets, and oh yes. Today we catch Kira and no one felt it was necessary to tell me," She spoke in such a rush but Mr. Wammy was side tracked when she said "Pregnant with triplets."

He caught on with the rest of her sentence and tried to find the most soothing words in his repertoire. "I assume Ryuuzaki is the father … are they healthy? How far along are you?" But instead of the comforting words, the man let out words similar to that of an expecting grandfather.

She paused in her mutilation of the ice cream, glancing up at him with the ghost of a smile. "As far as I am concerned, they are healthy. In actuality they are only 19 days along, but they should be developed to a little less than a month, feline genetics and all…" Her smile nearly twitched into a full out grin when she saw Mr. Wammy with that joyful gleam in his eyes. "But don't tell Ryuuzaki! I haven't told him! I-I I'm not even sure _how_ I'm going to tell him…" And this is what people might have called a hormone induced breakdown (hence the unexpected tears that were now gushing down her face).

How many times would it be that she cried this month?

Mr. Wammy carefully took the tub of frozen dairy away from her and off to the side, leaving the room. He knew she needed some time alone.

-

Lawliet watched the screen, pain gripping his heart in a very cold clench.

Without a second thought, he unlocked his wrist from the binds for what seemed like the billionth time, clicking it shut on a railing.

"Hey! Ryuuzaki! Where are you going? We still have to finalize some things before we send Matsuda out to play his part in the program!" Light called after him as Ryuuzaki marched down the hallway a bit faster than his usual stroll.

The anxiety ripped at his insides as the elevator went down painfully slow.

But when he pulled the door open, he saw a tear stained Kat, looking at him with wide, red, blotchy eyes. "Lawliet—I mean, Ryuuzaki?"

He did not answer, merely strode over by her and gathered her in her arms, tucking her head under his chin. "Why are you crying, love?" He asked silently, as if someone might walk in on them at any moment.

A weak sniffle on her part. "I don't know how to tell you…" She trailed off, fisting her hands into his shirt.

"Then just come out with it," He murmured into her hair.

Silence… save for her few sniffles.

_Brilliant, _K muttered. _We're a sniveling mess here, and I doubt super detective here can come up with anything more insensitive than that. _

"I'm pregnant…" She whispered, almost inaudibly.

Lawliet froze and Kat tensed when she felt his reaction. She attempted to untangle herself from him. _He doesn't want it. Damn it. Why didn't we just abort them all?_ Kat asked, heart the verge of shattering.

_Cause we have more sense then to allow anything with potential to live into the idiot scientist's hands? _K suggested.

She pushed against Lawliet's chest when his hand locked around her. _What the hell is he doing?_

And then he pulled her tighter against his chest, giving a sigh of relief. "That's wonderful. I thought something was terribly wrong with _you_." There was a strange tenor in his voice. Her eyes nearly popped out of the sockets from surprise when he rolled back onto his haunches and stared at her stomach as if he was trying to see through her skin and at the kids, a lopsided grin on his face.

"How many?" He asked.

_Does anyone else find this creepy?_ K asked, however it was no secret as to why she was ignored. They had a happy moment for once, and they were going to cherish it.

"Three," She said simply, rubbing her eyes. "According to the idiots."

"That's an oxymoron," Lawliet muttered, letting his legs fall and motioning Kat over to sit between his legs.

Needless to say, she complied. What else would she do?

She crawled over to him, and leaned her head against his chest, a contented smile on her features.

They sat there, for what seemed like an eternity, until Watari came in with two syringes.

The blissful aura melted off of her immediately, a scowl taking its place. _I can't believe I almost forgot. _

"Am I interrupting anything?" Watari asked, pausing with his hand on the door knob, both syringes on a tray.

Giving a huge sigh of exhaustion, she reluctantly pulled herself out of Lawliet's grip, ignoring the way his head tilted to the side in a curious glance. _We're rubbing off on him far too much…_Kew noted, amused.

"Would you like me to do it Watari? My eyes are far more…precise than that of most humans…" It was merely a factual statement, she was not bragging at all.

"That would be fine, my dear," Watari said, handing her the tray.

She flexed her hands as she gave the syringed hard glances. Blinking, she grabbed one, turning her eyes to Watari's neck, keen eyes glancing over every wrinkle and little dip in the skin before she strode over to him, spotting the jugular.

"I don't know if this will hurt terribly so…" She said, aware of the fact that Lawliet was watching her every move. Biting her lip, she inserted the syringe into his artery, wincing when she saw pain flash in his eyes before they gained a…she did not know how to describe it…he just seemed more alert of his surroundings then usual but that was the only change.

She replaced the empty one then trudged over to Lawliet; comprehension had dawned on his face. Her eyes were more inclined to focus on the dust spokes spiraling around them, or the rainbow of colors that the lamp created then searching for the vein. She did _not_ want to cause him any type of pain.

"I _must _do this…" She spoke to herself, placing the tip of the syringe against his skin ever so gently. Her eyes caught his (focusing on the very center of his inky pupils) as she inserted the syringe, a much bigger ache hitting her hard as she saw the similar pain flash in his eyes before adapting as she emptied the last of the serum into his bloodstream.

She needed to be stronger. She was going to have to do it again on November 5th to increase the potency and prevent anything—she refused to say the blasted word—unfavorable from happening.

"How do you feel?" She asked, tossing the syringe onto the tray across the room, not missing the fact that both of their eyes were tracking it. Was this how she acted?

"Alert," He murmured, raising his thumb to his lips.

"Well, then," She said, a little smile worming its way onto her features. "You both should get back to the task force. You are capturing Higuchi today, are you not?" She asked.

Lawliet frowned. "And who said you were not coming?"

This succeeded in stunning Kat, but she kept it off of her face, having control of her emotions for once in the past few weeks.

"It would be a complete waste not to have another pair of eyes, not to mention that the chances of you getting hurt are fairly low…" He said, biting on his thumb again, staring at the melting ice cream across the room almost mournfully.

"Then I'll go, let me just change into something more…flexible…" She said, heading over to their immense closet, unaware of the way her ears were perked up or the way her tail was swinging with a happy note in it despite the fact that they were going to go off to do something completely dangerous.

_Nothing bad better happen_... K muttered quietly, her tigress form turning away to go into a dark corner of their mind again, most likely to sulk…

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**A/N: Okay people! The Trailer is up, this chapter is finished and I must wait for your wonderful feed back and reviews! What did you think about this? How do you feel about artificially hybridized Lawliet and Mr. Wammy? How about the "physical" forms of the personas and hosts? (It's another way to help out those that have been asking to draw my characters; I love all of them, by the way!) My sketchbook is full of Oblivious Attraction, all of which will go up on DeviantArt. Hope you enjoyed Chapter 38! –announcer voice- Soon to come: Chapter 39!**

**-Maddy **


	39. Chapter 39

**Edited by: ****Kugnae****-san**

**Chapter 39**

There were no balloons marking her entrance, (not that it was much of an entrance at all, just silently slipping behind Lawliet) no one even glanced her way. And that was fine by her, it was essential for her to know that she was at least stealthy enough to slip under the radar.

But when she looked at the monitors, her eyes met with what she assumed used to be the blur.

It was just a hulking and imposing figure as before, but this time, she saw blotches of color—almost like an out of focused picture on a camera. A blotch of white with purple and yellow where she assumed the eyes would be.

"_Rem?_ Who is Rem? He went into the car alone and it doesn't look as if someone else is in that car with him. He is not using his mobile either… is he using a radio to communicate with someone?" Light questioned, completely focused on the screen.

"No," Lawliet corrected. "There is no radio fixed inside of that car, just the camera and the bug we set up. We can trust Weddy on that."

Kat walked up to the screen, squinting that the out of focus _thing_ in the back seat. "Do you think there will be a CV in the office of Yoshida agency?"

_Of course,_ K thought snidely. _Yoshida is not that big despite Amane's popularity. So, theoretically, there _should_ be a CV there. A monkey could conclude that._

"Is he talking to himself…?" Light questioned.

"Why are you asking me? How would I know?" K gave a startled jump at the haunting voice, alerting everyone by the shocked look in her eye.

"What's wrong, Kokoro?" Lawl—no, this was L…if the no-nonsense tone he was giving her meant anything.

She put her index finger flush against her lips, eye narrowing into slits as the fur on the back of her neck rose.

"If he really knows what he is doing, then he must have deleted all the articles that might contain his real name before going on TV… And Yoshida Agency allowing me to enter their office and have a look at their CV, isn't that kind of careless? Well… I guess if I'm the only one who enters the place, and then if anything gets stolen it can only be me…" He deducted. He was being so careful yet reckless as well. But then again, only those with the level of paranoia that L and she had mastered would lead to the deduction that the car was bugged.

"He will go, I'm certain," L said once he noticed that K would not respond.

"Even if I do find his CV in the office, what if it has a fake name on it again? No, I'd say it is highly likely that the name on it will be a fake."

"But if you don't do anything it is also likely that he will give your name on the TV." That _thing _again.

"You don't hear it?" K hissed through gritted teeth, emerald orbs smoldering in frustration. "Ryuuzaki! Listen and look carefully in the back seat! Something is there… something that should not be, but we see because we are what we are!" She was throwing hints and clues at him left and right.

She looked into his gunmetal eyes, watching that single moment when his eyes flashed with revelation before focusing in on the back seat of the car.

"What are you talking about Kokoro?" Light asked her.

She turned angry eyes on him, "If you do not understand, it is not meant for your ears, Yagami Light!"

She turned back to the monitors, hands curled into potentially fatal claws from the strain of controlling the adrenaline that was pumping through her veins at the moment.

Both geniuses remain silent as Higuchi made his way into Yoshida Agency and pulled up the file on "Yamashita Taichiro," wrote the name down in a notebook and left.

"No, he only made a note of the name and now he is leaving the room… is he not going to kill in the office?" Light, once again, questioned to himself.

"Ryuuzaki! Shall we go for him?" Mogi asked.

L gave K a pointed look, one that clearly said, "You know what to do."

She cleared her throat before giving out her commands. "Stand down, Mogi. Our objective is to see the method in which Kira murders. The moment he does anything suspicious inside his car, we will alert you and you will move in. Until then, we trust Weddy to keep surveillance on his movements."

Lawliet resisted the urge to grin a bit. She gave a whole SWAT formatted speech when a simple, "No, wait. Weddy, monitor his movements." would have easily sufficed. But he supposed that hers was a more professional response, something to clue those around that they were dealing with something organized…and dangerous according to the tenor of her voice.

"Damn it, why doesn't he die!?" Higuchi shouted, the television show continuing on, Matsuda still alive.

Light vaulted out of his seat, standing just as frustrated as K. "What does he mean by that?! He just said 'Why doesn't he die!?'"

"it means that he has already used his method to kill… he did so either while he was getting out of the office and into the car…or is writing the name down itself the method to kill…?" Lawliet muttered pensively, clearly, his mind was working at unnatural speeds to figure out the conundrum.

K's mind thought process was likely slower, but it was using every brain cell it had to figure it out. A memory being was being dug up… "_Books, wings,_ she said, _cool black books_ and _swishing wings,"_ Her musing was inaudible to all but the recently artificially hybridized L.

She shook her head, "I'll go get Watari and the arms…" She muttered quietly, reaching up and pressing the little button on her head set so that she would not be lost as everything progressed.

She was quick and silent as she listened to the conversation. "Rem, time for the deal," K fought the urge to freeze. This human was more messed up than any other human she had ever met.

"The deal? What is he talking about, and what is this Rem he's been mentioning? Can the ability of Kira really be a godsend…?" Light asked, pulling out the first thought that popped into his head.

"I don't like to think that way." L muttered.

"Do you see it…?" K asked as she rounded another corner and met up with Watari in a small weaponry room they had stowed away from everybody. He was already garbed in his sniper suit, just loading the rifle now while she glanced over the assortment of artillery deciding on a new design that Watari had come up with.

It was small, camouflaged to look like any regular handgun, but the little thing held the same amount of power and shooting ability as any machine gun out on Black Market. The bad part: it was impractical to be running around and reloading the gun like the soldiers in wars…or movies for that matter. So, she had to settle with the amount of bullets that the small weapon could carry.

After making sure the safety was on, she strapped it to a holster on her hip.

"Then what is Rem?" Light asked, reminding K that she couldn't ogle at weapons so much this particular day.

"A reaper…?" He offered uncertainly. "Anyway, it's too soon to draw a conclusion. It looks like there are things yet to come and we might get to find out his method to kill." _Reaper? Could that be what that _thing_ is? _Kew wondered absentmindedly.

K listened intently as she and Watari made their way to the helicopter, checking to make sure that it was in condition to fly.

K heard a screech of tires in the monitor that was fixed into the helicopter. _No way…what the hell is up with his eyes…?_

"We're going after him!" Mogi said firmly into his own headset.

"You have the go ahead to pursue, no fire arms Mogi. I repeat, no fire arms," She commanded dangerously, eyes scanning the inside of the helicopter for anything that might be amiss.

"Stop right there, that's you, in the Porsche!" _Oh wow, Kira getting pulled over for speeding? There goes _his_ megalomania complex down the toilet, _K thought after getting frustrated with checking the aircraft. There was a _reason_ she preferred racing around in a car or in a race compared to even attempting to take Lawliet up on his offer to teach her how to run one of the many helicopters and planes in his repertoire. The buttons were all confusing! At least in a car, all she needed to know was red means stop, green means go, yellow means go faster so that you don't get a red….There's only two pedals and just one steering wheel!

K's eyes averted to the monitor again as Higuchi screeched out of sight of the officer.

The officer immediately followed, K blinked only once before focusing her eyes on the officer, her eyes trying to force themselves to work around the little static colors of the monitor.

"Ryuuzaki! The police vehicle just crashed against a lorry!" Mogi informed them.

"Crashed…an accident?" Light exclaimed.

"Everyone, I've decided that it is now dangerous to let Higuchi move any longer and although we haven't established his method of killing, assuming that he currently possesses sufficient evidence on him, we are taking our next step and will capture Higuchi. However, we are assuming that Higuchi now has the ability as the second Kira and can kill just by looking at faces. That is out premise."

K looked at Watari as he worked on her laptop.

"Watari, connect me to the director general of the police," L commanded.

"I suppose that is the best we can do since the Special Assault Team is part of the NPA and they severed all ties with us," K murmured under her breath. The SAT, the _Tokushu Kyūshū Butai_, the Special Assault Team, they were the Japanese equivalent of the United State's SWAT, the United Kingdom's CTC, Spain's GEO…basically, the local counter-terrorist group. Kira wasn't necessarily a terrorist but that was why she could always call in favors.

"This is L. I now have the name of an individual who is Kira," L spoke, a no nonsense tone that was similar to the one Kew had to use with K. "At the moment his vehicle, a red Porsche with plate number 911, is on route 1 heading from the Hibiya area to Shibuya. I am terribly sorry but I believe that he killed one of your motorcycle policemen on duty. We will capture Kira, but I would like you to notify all of your men to stay away form that Porsche."

K raised her hand to the headset. "The helicopter's ready, we got guns, all we need is both you and Light here so that we can go already…"

"Got it, K."

Both she and Watari barely had any time to strap themselves in before both males appeared on the roof top, making their way over to the plane.

She handed them the ear-muff like devices (which she loathed, because they only helped her more _inferior_ pair of ears while the other ones were blasted to bits).

Before she had time to clench her teeth, they were already in the air. Light making some random comment about not expecting L to have known how to pilot; she merely glowered, not even enjoying the height as much as she would've were they under any other circumstances.

She hung back, resisting the need to lean forward and tweak Lawliet's hair, trying to convince herself that this was a very serious situation.

-

Suture looked through some files, determined to help Kat in any way she could…even if she had to endure the nearly emotionless eyes of Beyond.

"…W-Why did you kill that s-scientist?" She asked strained, sure, when they were younger, they spoke about getting rid of "bad people" but they were children! Now they were adults, and he had simply cut down that man!

Another "glop," a clear sign that he was lobbing another handful of strawberry jam into his mouth, "…Mmm, I was given permission by K. She said that if anyone deserved to be killed by Kira, it was them…but she was wracked by emotional stress then, so I'm not sure if she was coherent enough to realize that I was going to take that seriously…"

That was quite possibly the longest speech he'd given since she swapped places with Kat. "S-She just told you that?" Suture was alarmed, and it was completely obvious. "B-but—she's always been so…I don't know, she has a thirst for justice, so why would she let you _kill_ for the heck of it?"

"Do you even know what she has done through the years, young Suture?" Beyond asked, licking the jam off his fingers, noting that it was sure to stain his fingers pink.

Suture was not sure if she wanted to know the answer, but she shook her head "no" anyways.

"She has tortured, she has been the tortured, and she has hunted, been the hunted, and slain many more than even I have during my period of, as she calls it, lapse of intelligent judgment."

This came as a shock to Suture. She had been living thinking that Kat simply did retrieval missions, captured and nothing more, but it seemed that she was just a much a criminal as anyone Kira slated for death. "I see. And from these files, telling you to kill is her way of p-payback?"

Beyond made no move to answer the question. That was one answer. Then there were two other reasons why he murdered the scientist with the very knife that K had given him.

He was plotting something against all of them, but then Beyond caught sight of when his death date was. Consequentially, Beyond had killed him on that date when the man had plainly told him that he would get his experiment back and that he would find Kira if he had to.

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, Beyond thinking about morbid things while the pure vision Suture had of her idol shattered into a million pieces.

-

_Soichiro just got shot and now Higuchi is back on the run…Oh, this is turning into such an eventful occurrence, and it wasn't even a mission!_ K said, the childish tenor of her voice chilling.

"In that case, we have to move on ourselves. Are we ready to go after him, Watari, Kokoro?" L asked us.

"Yes," Watari answered for both of us as K took the safety off of her gun.

L took out a gun, "Do you feel capable of shooting, Yagami-kun? Have it anyway, to protect yourself. It's Kira we are going after."

"No, that is not permitted in Japan," Light declined, quite probably the most idiotic response K had heard in ages.

"I suppose Yagami-san said the same thing…" L trailed off.

"Wow, how ironic… the man we believe to be the prime suspect in our Kira investigation… the man we believe to be a mass murderer is turning down a gun," She murmured under her breath, struggling to resist the smirk that was bound to surface as L grinned a bit.

K grabbed hold to the side of the aircraft as the circled around, watching the police vehicles swarm by, sirens practically tearing her ear drums to pieces with the combined force of the helicopter.

"That is strange, we did inform the police not to get involved in this…" Watari mused.

"It can only be…" Light trailed off.

"Yes, that's right…"

K merely stared at the zooming ground below, having as much of an idea of who was behind all of this as both the male geniuses.

-

"I cannot thank you enough for doing this, Ide."

"We don't have time for it now, Aizawa," Ide reprimanded.

"No, if you weren't here I wouldn't be here myself… I would probably be sitting at the chief investigator's desk with no motivation whatsoever and continued to spend my days as such, like a coward," _Wincing at the case that Kew sent me, no doubt. _

"The reason I'm here now, is you, Ide. You continued with your own investigation after you parted with L, even after the police abandoned the Kira Investigation. You kept going at the risk of losing your badge, and secretly gathered those who were trustworthy and continued your investigation while hiding it from the top brass…and that's why we are still chasing Kita tonight like this."

"Aizawa, when you returned from the investigation team lead by L all by yourself, I asked you to be the chief investigator because I knew that out of all the force members, you know Kira best. And you did not question me for it, you just trusted me and agreed to take over the investigation team. I'm the one who is thankful to you for that."

-

Watari leaned out the side of the helicopter… he aimed quickly then shot. This action caused a feral grin to appear on K's face. The bullet slammed into the window of his car, more than likely scaring Higuchi senseless. Now if only he caught sight of _her_ with her little gun.

Her eyes gauged the distance from her to the floor, crouching and tensing her muscles for a leap. She snapped her head around when she sensed someone looking at her.

L's eyes flicked up before looking back in front of her.

K's brows meshed together before she got what he was saying. With a quick curse she pulled her cloth mask down over her face.

She really couldn't afford such stupid mistakes anymore…Kat was rubbing off on her far too much.

She glanced back at him, waited for the minute nod of his head before she somersaulted out onto the ground, landing in a crouch, taking out her gun.

When he positioned his gun next to his head, K had no idea that both she and Watari had the same idea. Watari began to crouch in an effort to aim his weapon more precisely, his new heightened senses would surely come in handy for this shot… He must not harm Higuchi, nor could he let Higuchi harm himself… There was still far too much to ask him. The same exact thoughts were racing through K's head as she took aim. Both K and Watari fired one single bullet almost simultaneously, hitting Higuchi's weapon directly in its shaft.

"Now, get out of your car and turn around slowly," She said; a glint in her eye. Who knew how long it had been since she actually did something like this. "I could just go limb by limb until you abide my orders."

**A/N: Whatcha guys think? Which scenes pop out the most? Well, I hope you all like it, and please review!**


	40. Chapter 40

_When he positioned his gun next to his head, K had no idea that both she and Watari had the same idea. Watari began to crouch in an effort to aim his weapon more precisely, his new heightened senses would surely come in handy for this shot… He must not harm Higuchi, nor could he let Higuchi harm himself… There was still far too much to ask him. The same exact thoughts were racing through K's head as she took aim. Both K and Watari fired one single bullet almost simultaneously, hitting Higuchi's weapon directly in its shaft._

"_Now, get out of your car and turn around slowly," She said; a glint in her eye. Who knew how long it had been since she actually did something like this. "I could just go limb by limb until you abide my orders."_

**Chapter 40 **

He seemed to twitch, and K expected this of him so it was no surprise she was ready to intercept him.

As his hand came up to back hand her, she ducked, practically ripping his face off with the force she put into her own slap, claws digging into his skin and causing little rivulets of blood to flow down his face, a yowl of pain erupting from his lips .

_Wow, if he was repulsive before…I feel bad for whoever had to go through the pain of childbirth for this one. _K thought before, grabbing Higuchi by the arms forcefully, not even flinching when she heard his hiss of pain. She took the handcuffs out of Soichiro's hands and let Higuchi fall onto the dirt, to be tied up by the rest of the men that were surrounding "Kira."

K was standing far away from him, she did not want to let him get a good hit in… Though fear for her own wellbeing did not trigger this impulse. Even though Watari could turn him into the human equivalent of Swiss cheese with his newly improved senses. _Hell_, L would probably be the one that would riddle holes into Higuchi should he harm their developing children in any way or form.

Shaking her head (resisting the urge to rip off her wig when the long tendrils of her pony tail smacked her in the face), she let herself fall into a crouch, taking out a knife from one of her boots. _Might as well do something productive while the interrogation starts…_Kew noted appreciatively, trying to ignore the fact that K just wanted to be over there—getting information out of the greed obsessed man by slicing his skin open, cut by painful cut.

She just traced the edge of the blade absentmindedly, drawing shapeless figures on it.

Mogi gave Higuchi the headset, and K watched with morbid curiosity, tilting her head much the same way as inquisitive kitten would.

"Higuchi, how have you been killing people? As Kira, how did you kill people!? Answer!" L demanded. _Are my aggressive tendencies rubbing off on him in addition to my mannerisms? _"If you refuse to tell us, then we will make you tell us by any means necessary."

A cruel grin appeared on K's features; that could certainly be arranged. "Of course, you do not want another beastly scar on that face of yours, eh?" She threatened, a sinister glint entering her eyes.

After a few moments of silence, right when she was about to decide to dip her knife into his skin and see the red bubble up to the surface, he spoke. "It's a notebook…"

"Notebook?" L questioned, more as a way of verifying what Higuchi has said then a question of his sanity.

"…You probably won't believe me, but it's a notebook where if you write in it the name of a person whose face you know, then that person will die. It's in the bag inside my car…"

"Y-Yagami-san, can you at least check inside of the car to see if there's anything like that…" L more of commanded then asked; K let her eyes flicker over to the car. Even with enhanced senses, neither L nor Watari would be able to observe the contents of the car from their vantage point, or at least she assumed.

"Okay," Soichiro responded, turning around to the car, shuffling through the briefcase and pulling out a black note book.

"Ryuuzaki, the notebook is here but it's not anything special…it's true that there are people's names written in here…" But his voice trailed off as he looked up. Words like startled, flabbergasted, startled entered her mind as she saw his face.

"_**WAHHHH!"**_ Soichiro yelled, backing up in horror.

K gave a violent twitch at the sound—her ears practically bleeding from the sound—before she followed Soichiro's gaze and saw the gargantuan blotch of colors.

She had seen it plenty of times on monitors, and had seen outlines and blurs of it in real life but seeing up close was a completely different matter.

She blinked her eyes repeatedly, even rubbed them with the heel of her palm, in a subconscious effort to see it. She was so unaccustomed to having her vision toyed with, so it was completely aggravating when she glared at that one spot, and felt like she was looking through some giant frosted pane of glass.

K was so irritated that she did not hear the added scream of Mogi when he went for the book. She only caught then end of Soichiro's conclusion.

"I-it a-appears that anyone who touches the notebook…can see it…"

And so, with a very dramatic turn, she walked over to the book and snatched it off the ground, then turned her eyes to the creature, taking in every detail.

It looked like one of those experiments from the facility, one of the ones who had far too many defects to even be considered for observation and testing.

She extended her arm, slamming the book into Mogi's chest. "Take this to Ryuuzaki."

"_What do you see?" _L asked her, the apprehensive tinge in his voice only audible to her.

"I see what I saw at headquarters, what I saw with Misa, what I saw with Light, save that now, it's crystal clear…" She answered bluntly, knowing he would be able to decipher her code.

"….Indeed…A reaper….It…r-really exists…" L muttered, but K could hear it nonetheless.

"Ryuuzaki, is it true!? Let me see that." And that was when a multitude of alarms began ringing in her head, many of them being the combined yells of anguish of Kat, Kew and—surprisingly—Kitten.

Without warning, like a startled feral tomcat, she hurled herself into a sprint, wishing she could just shift into her feline form to get there faster. But she knew that even the speed she was running at, what she estimated was a rough thirty-something miles an hour, was unnatural for most humans. She silently gave thanks for the fact that the majority of the officers were giving the monster a slack-jawed stare, therefore ignoring her.

She slid to a stop just in time to duck her head into her shoulders, covering her ears as a horrible, bloodcurdling scream erupted from the helicopter.

From Light.

She forced her body to seem relaxed, but she was wound tighter than a coil, nerves frayed.

That feeling…

The one she got before Light was put in solitary confinement…

That stupid instinct of self-preservation…

That need to wring that foul little child's neck, and watch the life leave his eyes—

—was back.

She resisted the impending and completely animalistic urge to let her lips curl up, bare her teeth at the monstrosity sitting next to her mate, uncouth words dangling on the tip of her tongue.

"…..A-are you alright? Though if anyone saw that monster they would be surprised—" _Oh for the sake of---! Just let me tear him to pieces already! If you're lucky you'll be left with enough of a cadaver to prosecute and put on a platter in front of the ICPO! _

"If you write someone's name into something like this, people will die…. Can you believe that? …" Light asked.

At this point, it was hard for K to control her breathing, the muscles in her jaw tight, adrenaline seeping into her system.

"….What? I-it's hard to believe but…Th…There's no way that we can… test it…….Right? ……..Yagami-san." He was only going through the motions, she could see it in his eyes, in his speech; it was painfully obvious how his new senses were allowing him to see as she would.

He no doubt felt the incredible "Fight or Flight" impulse, hence his uncharacteristic hesitance.

"Obviously, Ryuuzaki!!"

And that was her cue to swallow the growl that built up in her chest.

"Ryuuzaki, first let's match the names written here with the names of the victims…" Light said, turning around to type on the computer.

"Um…Yes…ah…That's right…."

She glanced at L, both sharing a look.

He was trying to fool them with his "effortless perfect-boy acting" as the personas called it.

-

Beyond stared at Suture, watching her deftly make incisions into the body of the former Kira…

As soon as the body was wheeled in for them to take apart and examine (apparently completely sterile and "bloody well fresh" from what he made out of K's haphazard angry slurs), he saw the slight flash of horror appear in his younger counterpart's blue eyes.

Three long, scarlet and jagged lines of puckered scar tissue went from his ear, across the bridge of his crooked nose, to the other ear.

If one did not know exactly whom they were working with, they would have assumed the Higuchi was mauled by some wild animal, and that the reason he was lying on the examining table was as such.

But Beyond and Suture evidently knew better.

They certainly were not going to even consider such a foolish freak accident had happened.

The fact that there were no other signs of a struggle was one huge clue to them.

No. They had been informed before it all that the "imbecile" they were going to examine and prod was a former Kira who died of a heart attack. (And Beyond was the very first one to accuse the incident of being redundant, causing K to agree half heartedly before barking out orders to someone on another line and hanging up on him.)

However, Beyond was not very interested in Higuchi, rather, his counter part.

He watched with detached interest as the recognition flashed in her eyes, followed by the horror before her orbs went flat.

She had finally accepted the fact that her idol, the woman she followed around like a sick puppy was just as vile as any other person she would meet. The only difference was that she also shared DNA with the disease infested vermin that ran around in the alleys.

His apt observation, he noted, made her jittery, jumpy; so he turned around, analyzing other matters. She was more than able to make a few incisions on a corpse and conclude the cause of death as he was.

He didn't hate K. He didn't dislike her. He just found himself comparing her to L far too much than he was at all comfortable with.

She was not insanely genius like L, but she was just behind him on that one. She was not male, she was not as reserved and she was not as…stable.

Which is where, he deducted, the differences ended.

They both had the ability to manipulate people to an extreme… to the point where a person would actually doubt whether or not they were on the side of "good" or "evil." They both had the tendency to drag others in to their problems, they both were far more childish than what they should be, and they were both incredibly cruel in their own way…

But then again, the fact that _she_ was unstable would bring him round full circle.

The fact that she was almost clinically insane was what weighed her far more favorable than L for some reason. _Because_ she was more likely to be rash, to be emotionally ship wrecked, to have that small hint of sadism…well, that just made her seem more _human_ to him.

But he would never admit that. After all, Suture is to K what Beyond was to L. Backup, replacement, alternate, but she was Similar.

And he wanted to make her see the light because of that. He needed to make Suture realize that chasing after an idol was incorrect…but not necessarily the same way he had tried to show his independence…

He noisily stuffed his hand into the jam, purposely making sure he sounded as obnoxious as possible, knowing that Suture would twitch.

"Hey, B-Beyond, this guys eye's…there is a r-red tint to them…a little b-bit l-like yours…"

And that was when Beyond froze in his snacking, completely stilled by the turn of events.

_Shinigami eyes…_


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41—Silence

Suture's eyes kept widening as Beyond explained everything to her. In full detail, not missing a beat about why he disappeared from the orphanage after A committed suicide, why he had so many surgical scars and why Higuchi's eyes had that tint.

"You should call K and tell her," Suture told him firmly. "This might be crucial to the investigation; you cannot keep this from her."

"I am aware, which is why I intend to call her as soon as we finish up with these victims," Beyond said, picking a scalpel off of a tray.

Suture merely watched as he made his way to the examination table, her heart beating quickly.

K may have deceived her—attempted to throw her for a loop, even—but that did not mean that her life suddenly didn't matter. Suture knew that every bit of information they found was relevant to the case and the survival of both L and K—that is, even if her place in the Wammy's House as nineteenth suggested otherwise.

She glanced at her hand, noticing the shaking.

She felt like a tornado was coming today. But the question was; how big would it be?

-

Kat's lips quirked downward as she forced the grotesque serum into Lawliet's bloodstream again, noting the dilation of his pupil and the ever so slight twitch of his jaw.

She slid it out, throwing the syringe into a plastic bag to be burned somewhere.

She had given it to Watari earlier, just as the sun peaked over the horizon.

It was going to rain.

She shook her head before stepping back to allow Lawliet to get up.

"Are you going to the roof?" She asked quietly, feeling the first of many waves of fatigue hitting her.

His eyes turned to her, noting the sudden paleness, the darkening bags under her eyes and the just plain exhausted shine (or lack thereof) in her eyes.

"Yes," he said. "Would you like me to escort you to the investigation room?"

She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her thin parka, trying to hide the way her claws were digging into her flesh. "Sure."

_Something bad… is going to happen …_Kew noted, voice still and anxious. All of them were jittery, half expecting the predictions of the scientists to be false, to keel over at any second while also expecting something else cataclysmic to happen.

And she knew he had that sense of impending doom around him too.

When he was answering Light's questions—it was very obvious that he _knew_ it wasn't the Light they had been working with for so long.

"It really is…an uncomfortable feeling," Kat began. "To know something is coming, something life-threatening. And you can do nothing but wait it out. Hope nothing happens to anyone."

"Yes," He answered. "I can see how animals have a need to flee before a tsunami or a typhoon…"

They climbed into the elevator, Kat pressing the button. "Humans have it too; they just choose not to go with their instincts. They were just as primal and wild as any animal before, they just chose to domesticate themselves. A curse and a blessing. They threw away their natural gift of knowing nature, but they also gained unbidden knowledge. I have—and now you and Watari as well—a perspective from both here and there."

Lawliet nodded in understanding before curiosity ran away with his mouth. "…Do you hear the bells?"

Kat froze for a second. "…No…But I suppose it might be a variation on how we sense dangers…" _It seems there are _some_ humans who can sense danger as we can. Lawliet never_ _ceases to amaze me…_

"They've been getting particularly loud," She noted how depressed his voice sounded, halfway defeated.

"Hmmm," _Fluent in how many languages and that's all you can get out? Damn, and here I thought you were capable of much, much more, Kat._

_Quiet, K. What else am I to say? Death and destruction is on the horizon? Make a prophecy about_ _the apocalypse? Spit out some random lies to comfort him? I refuse. He knows my sentiments—far better than me, I'm willing to bet, _Kat retorted.

A clap of thunder muffled by the walls, but still, she fell to the ground, her knees buckling underneath her. She grasped the nearest thing, which just so happened to be Lawliet's arm.

He gathered her in his arms, helping her out of the small elevator. It took a while for her to get her muscles working again, but when she did, she leaned against the wall, waving Lawliet away. "You should go to the roof now; I can take care of myself…" she murmured, leaning her head against the wall.

He stood up, albeit hesitantly.

Lawliet wanted to stay with her but he knew better than to go against her choices. She was far too obdurate, especially when it came to rainy days.

She never felt comfortable with him doting on her, so he had to make sure not to set her off. It proved to be quite a chore some days and other days it was far too easy to avoid her fits.

He supposed it was K that influenced a good bit of her actions on days that it was pouring.

He just hoped she would at least _try_ and be more flexible…if not for her own wellbeing, then for their unborn children. With that, he went back to the elevator.

Kat stayed on the floor for quite a while. Reminiscing and pondering what was to come, and what she could possibly do to stop it. All the possibilities led to one ultimate outcome, one that she could not escape or run from.

She wouldn't tell him, but she was terrified.

She was soon going to be confined to a couch or bed, unable to move or defend her self—and if the meteorologist's predictions were accurate, than she would remain that way well into the night.

When Kat was younger, it was easier to cope with. Sure, the Terrible Trio had a knack for beating her up on those days, ditching her in the rain to get pneumonia, but back then, she could hide behind the adults or Lawliet more effectively.

Now she was an adult.

She couldn't duck behind someone's legs, and try to shrink away. She couldn't idle about in a room, reading books and throwing fits over everything the characters did. She _certainly_ could not depend on everyone coming to her rescue.

She was an adult.

Sure, she had a predilection for staying _away_ from danger on days that she was in such a state but…

What actually instilled fear in her was not the fact that she wouldn't be able to move—that she would be vulnerable for more time than usual—but the fact that she would not be able to rocket around the room and defend Lawliet should the moment arise.

Even though he was very capable of doing that himself, she wouldn't be able to come in as back up should anything unfavorable happen.

"_Destroy the spineless  
Show me it's real  
Wasting our last chance  
To come away  
Just break the silence  
'cause I'm drifting away  
Away from you!"_

She jumped about a foot in the air, clawing holes in the plaster. She needed to pick songs that weren't quite so startling.

She opened the phone shakily, holding back the string of curses that were about to burst.

"Hello?"

"_This is Rue."_

Kat blinked successively. Did he have news for her? Was it positive or negative?

"What is it?" She asked, almost as tactless as L was on some days.

"_Higuchi has Shinigami Eyes. I have reason to suspect that the one you suspect as the second Kira _has_ Shinigami eyes as well."_

"Is this some sort of jest?" she questioned.

"_No. I am being completely serious._" Well, he was showing his new found honesty in a frowzy way. _"Tell me, were you with L during the LABB murder cases?" _he asked, quite out of the blue.

"No, L had aggravated me so he went to the United States while I went to Vietnam. He only told me the basics of that case," she answered.

"Well then …" A pause. "I shall e-mail you with my speculations and the how it relates to the current case." And with that, he hung up.

Kat shook her head at the pithy conversation before getting herself up and making her way to the investigation room laggardly. When she did get there, she plopped herself down on her favorite couch, covering her eyes with her forearm.

_**August 12**__**th**__**, 2006**_

_Kat picked up her duffle bag, ready to head off to the plane that was boarding from New Delhi, India to Hanoi, Vietnam. _

"_Tell him that I will meet with him at the end of his case," _she_ said, closing up her parka. "Hopefully, when we will have both abandoned our need to wring each other's neck."_

"_You are still mad that he stepped on your tail and spilled coffee on you…?" Mr. Wammy asked; handing her the soft drink. _

"_The argument we had afterwards has something to do with it, as well…" _she_ murmured. "See you soon, Watari." _

_She said this while waving behind at him as she set off, making a point of ignoring the man that was looking at her from afar. _

_He was bound for Los Angeles, North America…to deal with one of his successors, one that had strayed from his path. She had to go to Hanoi to do some mission for the police there, something they were far too lazy to do_,_ apparently. Something to do with drug siphoning, and a big spike_, _in serial cases and killing some people…_

_It was certainly odd, when she found herself eating shrimp with the load of business people in first class. One even managed to ask her what "company" she worked for. _

"Sukaaretto seppen_…" __she__ answered before swallowing another shrimp. She never known why Artemis chose that name; "Scarlet Snowflake," perhaps it was just a strange preference of his?_

"_Oh, isn't that the Japanese one? I heard a crime lord runs it…" __one__ of the older gentlemen said. _

_K resisted the grin; she was the "crime lord." Able to rally up the underworld with one command, then lock them all up at the same time. But that was an exaggeration, of course. _

"_Mistress is no crime lord." __She __purposely answered in a broken accent before pulling up her laptop to look over the mission details. _

_Go in, kill quite a few people on the wanted list and get out. _

_After that, all she would need to do was collect her earnings. _

_She felt like such a hit-woman… wasn't Agent K supposed to be the opposite of a hit-woman?_

_Oh, the hell with it._

_-_

Kat ran her hand over a certain spot on her bandages, the one wound that began bleeding after the whole "Lind L. Tailor" fiasco. That was a cause of her getting a bit too arrogant, the result of jumping in front of some medieval type weapon and getting practically shredded. She was scolded on more than one occasion for that one, then again, and then again.

Her eyes fluttered shut, drowsy.

And when she opened them again…well, it was a completely hectic mess.

The first thing she heard was the screams of outrage of the task force, causing her to hiss in discomfort, sending a vicious glare their way.

She forced herself into a sitting position, trying to muffle her soft pants, and completely ignoring the cold sweat that was accumulating on her forehead. The second thing she heard was Kew and K's disbelief at the task force's naïveté.

And the third thing she heard was L's voice. "The one who will write in the notebook will be the one who has at least thirteen days until their execution, and if they are living after thirteen days, then they will be absolved of their execution. That is the legal trade that we will make…"

It took longer than usual for her to process that, but when she did, she did not find it to be as outrageous as the rest. It seemed completely practical to her, tying up some loose ends, in a sense.

The fur on the nape of her neck prickled; she glanced at Light in her peripheral vision. The type of stunts that Lawliet was pulling off blatantly showed that he was still suspicious of Light and Misa.

Which also made perfect sense—Misa was released, then almost immediately, sixteen criminals were killed Kira style.

"Watari, contact the heads of all the states which fit into that situation."

And more screams of incredulity. She sent a pointed glare at Aizawa. Hadn't she provided him with enough information to absolve all of his doubts of what they did? Or had she not been obvious enough? Did she have to smack him around while yelling "We know what we are doing! We've done it since we were children!"

"What do you plan by doing that right now?!" Aizawa demanded, slamming his hand on the table, beside L's chair.

She only managed a feeble growl in their direction, wiping away her sticky bangs.

"It would be a verification of the murder's notebook of course."

But Kat had turned her attention away from them, eyes glued to the Shinigami.

Adrenaline began pumping through her as she saw it giving her a look, its eyes still…almost with an almost…regretful look in its eyes?

_NO!!!!!!!_ K snarled, causing her to wince. _That stupid piece of shit! _

_What the hell is your problem?! _Kat questioned, irritated.

_Wait about thirty more seconds and you'll see!_

_Thirty more seconds…? Damn. _Kat's eyes widened in comprehension.

_**CRASH!**_

Kat jumped from her position, heart pounding so hard, it might as well have been trying to jump out and escape danger.

"What's wrong Watari?" L asked, the worry in his tone only evident to her.

No answer to his question. "Watari…?"

_**PEEEEEP!**_

"All data deletion?...What does that mean?" Light asked.

_Watari…No!_

"I instructed Watari to delete all the information he currently holds if anything unexpected should happen to him…" Lawliet intoned.

"'Unexpected should happen to him'…"

"He… can't be…"

Lawliet turned to his head to the task force. "Where is the reaper?"

"The reaper…it's gone…"

_If Watari is dead…If that's the case, Amane hasn't even had a glimpse of his face… Yagami Light… Did he do something when he went outside a while ago…? But I didn't let anybody know Watari's name… What if…The reaper…_

"Everyone, the reape……!" Lawliet froze, spoon halfway to his tea.

A heavy weight settled itself onto Kat's chest, her breath leaving in one full gasp.

Everything around her just…disappeared as she strained her ears to listen to the heartbeats. Focusing in on the one farthest away from her…

But it was—

"_No_…" She whispered, falling into an adrenaline induced run, legs giving out just as Lawliet fell out of his chair.

The tears were already gushing down her face.

"NO!" she yelled hoarsely, as Light Yagami caught him. She strained herself the final few steps, cradling his head in her lap after smacking _Kira's_ hands away from her mate, not even giving the vile creature a second glance when he gasped at the three jagged gashes she had left in his skin.

"Don't you dare die on me…I swear…!" she whispered through hushed sobs.

_So…I…I wasn't wrong…but…I…_

"Hey Ryuuzaki! Ryuuzaki!"

Kat forced the red that was bleeding into her vision down as Light feigned all his actions. She didn't need to even look at him to know that he had had a grin painted on his features only moments before. One that she undoubtedly would have ripped off were they under any other circumstances.

She leaned by Lawliet's ear, "…I-I'm not going to say goodbye…"

"We should call an ambulance!"

"But Ryuuzaki doesn't have an ID!"

"I'll go with him!"

_He's dead! No! The serum didn't work! UWAH! _Kitten wailed helplessly.

_We shouldn't of taken on this case! We should've done something less dangerous! Something that didn't involve all this crap, _Kat murmured lamely, already falling into a depression, tears still gushing down her cheeks.

_This shouldn't have happened…_was Kew's startled mantra.

K's heart just plunged into her stomach, leaving her in a momentary breathless stupor as she tried to compose herself.

"What do we do, Kokoro?!" was heard between the panicked shrieks.

She wiped her runny nose against the sleeve of her parka. "_You calm the fuck down, that's what,_" K hissed wildly after quelling Kat's tears. "Light, you and the rest go find the reaper. Yagami, an ambulance is not needed. He's at the point of no return. Aizawa, you stay here with me," she commanded, not missing the hateful glint in Light's eyes.

Frankly, she didn't give a damn if Light could cover his tracks, she just wanted him out of her sight before she gave in to her more primal instincts and morphed into her tiger form and turned him into minced meat.

_Dammit! Why didn't Rem kill Kokoro?! _Light thought as he nodded shakily and went out with the rest of the search team.

She just sat there in silence, listening half-heartedly to the wails and cries of pain of the other personas, not noticing that she herself was devastated; ready to rip out Light's eyes, mutilate him until there was _nothing recognizable left._ She was utterly and completely pissed, then mournful and then had that insane bloodlust building up in her.

How it would just help everything to beat the crap out of Yagami Light, Kira.

K looked at Aizawa as he flitted around checking Lawliet's vitals anyways. "Stop it, she said harshly, getting his attention. "If he's—d-d-de—if he's gone, he's gone." She finally settled, the exhaustion sinking into her again, her hands quivering. "And if my theory was right, then, well, don't worry about us. Now get up, and help me get him to where Watari is. Tell me, is it still raining?" she questioned, even through everything that was happening, K was still being the tough one, the one that didn't want to be made a fool out of.

Aizawa was taken aback by her words. "No, it's stopped…for the moment at least."

"Good," she grunted, hefting up Lawliet's torso, motioning Aizawa to take his feet.

Together, they hauled him to where Watari was on the ground. Her eyes got teary again as she told Aizawa to go to the hallway closet and bring in some blankets and such.

And he watched as she gingerly covered them, and rolled them over onto makeshift beds.

"Aizawa, I am entrusting you to never let your suspicions go down a notch. As someone once said many times, act as if you are playing chess on the ice. Stick to a realistic standpoint."

"No! You're not going to—"

"It's so flattering of you to suggest I would go commit suicide," she said flatly. "No. In another time and place, I would have. I want nothing to do with the task force as it is now, they are far too biased. As it is, you actually have some potential to see around everything. Just…Please remember that first Kira is to Light, as L is to Ryuuzaki. And the second Kira is to Misa as Agent K is to Kew Keikan," she muttered, before giving him some orders to abide by and shooing him out.

She snapped her phone open and pressed the speed dial. "Roger? I'm not dead. Please send the autopilot coordinates to the jet, I am going to be visiting my house, the one by the orphanage…" she said simply before snapping the phone shut and just staring at Lawliet's alabaster face.

"That serum better work…" she muttered, brushing her fingertips across his forehead; sparing a glance to Mr. Wammy.

Her father, for all effective reasons, was most likely on his death bed. She felt the tears prickling her vision.

He was seventy-one…his body wouldn't function as readily as hers or Lawliet's. Now that she actually thought about, the chances of him coming out of it with out major heart problems or waking up at all—they were slim to none.

Not only could she lose her mate, but her father.

All in one day.

Whatever divine being was looking over her was really sick. Wanting to leave her fatherless, loveless and leave her—

Her face flushed as a wave of nausea hit her.

Her children could be left fatherless…! She could end up raising them by herself! She couldn't do that! She could barely take care of herself!

A dark cloud came over her, a dark glint entering her eyes as she brushed hair out of Lawliet's face.

_I _will_ murder Yagami Light and Amane Misa with my own claws and hands if Lawliet and Mr. Wammy don't wake up… I at least want the pleasure of seeing his eyes die… This cruel world will not deny me of _that_ privilege. _

Silence.

**A/N: Okay. This is the end. The sequel will be named "Obvious Vexation." Please, review this one. If you've never reviewed, at least review this last chapter. Tell me what you think! I really cried writing this! Thanks to **Timekeeper101**-nee-chan** **for proofing and giving tips on this! And to Kugnae-san for his awesome skills too! **

**Please review!**

**-Maddy**


	42. Quip

Hello! Not a chappy, but here's a quip from the Prologue! Link at the end of this!

**Prologue**

_Things are horrible when the kids you practically raised are cooing words of reassurance in your ear… when tears just fall down your cheeks every two seconds and your head snaps up whenever he takes a shuddering breath.._.

_Kat, sweetie, this is hopeless, to keep all of us holed up. It's been 8 weeks! Think about the children! The ones inside you and the ones you're scaring! Near might not show it, but he's so frightened! _Kew whispered to her.

_I know…_Kat responded, running the pads of her fingers over the little spindly veins in his wrist, using her other hand as a pillow.

_Mr. Wammy woke up two weeks after we fled, something's gone wrong…_Kew mused.

_NO! _Kitten shrieked. _He's perfectly fine! See! He's breathing! Can't you hear his heart beating! _

**Link: ****http://www(dot)/s/4958702/1/Obvious(underscore)Vexation**

**Just replace the "(dot)" with a period and the "(underscore)" with, well, an underscore. ^-^ Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! And I hope you all enjoy **_**Obvious Vexation**_** as much as the prequel to it!**

**-Maddy**


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